Frontlines Testimony: OFWI.org Humanitarian Mission to Armenia
OFWI’s Majed El Shafie pays his respects to victims of the war in the Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan.
The devastating impacts of Azerbaijan’s war against the people of Karabakh continues to reverberate. One Free World International embarked on a mission to Armenia to support the Christians forced to flee their homes and assess the acute humanitarian support needs.
OFWI also investigated the reports of war crimes by Azerbaijani forces and the backing they received from Turkey’s military and fighter’s from Syrian-based terrorist organizations.
There is a great need for humanitarian support in the region. What follows are details of our findings and plan of action to support the Christians refugees forced to flee their home.
Continuation of Armenian Genocide
While geopolitics and complicated nuances abound when it comes to war, one thing about this conflict is clear: the historic hostility to Christian populations and Turkic domination in the region is a continuation of the culture that perpetrated the Armenia genocide. The assault on the Armenian people in Karabakh violated International norms for the conduct of war, committed war crimes against people in the region, including rape, and deliberately attacked churches and other holy sites.
Human Victims
While the Russian military blocked our humanitarian mission direct access to the region of Karabakh, during this mission OFWI’s Majed El Shafie was able to meet with families and victims who were forced to flee their homes with the help of translators. Watch the video to hear the details of their stories.
Majed El Shafie interviews a Syrian fighter who took part in Azerbaijan’s attacks in Karabakh.
Perpetrators
One of the more troubling reports OFWI discovered on this mission was the Turkish military aided the movement of Syrian terrorist organizations and fighters into the region to help wage their assault on the people of Karabakh. OFWI was granted exclusive access to interview some of the fighters who confirmed they were part of allied groups that supported ISIS’ armed efforts in Syria. These Turkey-backed forces have also been responsible for the assaults we have witnessed taking place in northern-Syria against the Kurdish populations in that region. The mobilization of religious-backed militias should be of great concern to the international community who care about international security, stability in the region, and upholding international human rights norms.
Meeting with refugees and injured soldiers
War Crimes
During this mission, OFWI’s investigation collected evidence of war crimes being committed by Azerbaijan and their military supporters, including:
Using forbidden weapons during the war
Deliberately and indiscriminately attacking civilian populations
Deliberate attacks on churches, hospital, and other religious sites
Turkey, as a NATO partner, imported fighters from listed terrorist organizations
Inhumane and violent treatment of local populations and captured prisoners of war
Evidence of plans for ethnic cleansing to force all ethnic Armenians to flee the area
OFWI will continue to collect evidence and compile a credible report for referral to international authorities in the weeks ahead so that justice can be served.
(pictured) Altar at the Armenian Church adjacent to the military cemetery.
Next Steps
OFWI has determined there are over 50,000 Christian refugees who were forced to flee their homes due to this war, most cannot return.
The 50,000 people are civilians forced to flee and injured military personnel, both are unable to return to their homes.
There is an urgent need for necessities of life and medical aid. OFWI has begun planning an aid mission back to the region in the coming weeks. Just as we have done in the past, with your donations and mobilizing partners, we will deliver medical aid and other needed supplies to help them meet the necessities of life and rebuild.
Please help us make this a reality by donating today at https://ofwi.org/donate