Humanitarian Mission to Armenia

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

Merry Christmas

OFWI’s Majed El Shafie shares a Christmas message

Thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters for helping us continue our mission to be a voice for the voiceless, speaking out on persecution, and taking action to help those who need it.

Watch Majed’s video:

Karabakh: Investigating War Crimes On The Front Lines

OFWI FACT FINDING MISSION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Rev. El Shafie prays at the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. The church was bombed by Azerbaijani forces.

Targeting civilians. Bombed churches. Violating ceasefire agreements. These are just some of the reports coming from Nagorno-Karabakh as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan turned violent in recent weeks.

OFWI has led a fact-finding mission to the region, joined by Icelandic MP Birgir Thorarinsson, to witness firsthand the effects of war, assess the damage, and investigate the reports of human rights abuses.

Early findings:

• Civilians are being deliberately targeted by Azerbaijani forces.

• Attacks on hospitals and churches are war crimes.

• International intervention needed to protect human life.

• Azerbaijan’s violent attempt to control the territory with Turkey’s backing by targeting civilians is eerily similar to the ethnic cleansing of 20th century Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire.

• International support to rebuild and restore community services will be crucial to support civilians in the months ahead.

President Erdogan has put the force of Turkey’s armed forces behind Azerbaijan and they continue jointly large-scale aerial, missile, and land attacks along the entire line of contact between Artsakh (Nagorno Kharabakh) and Azerbaijan, aiming to resolve the Nagorno-Kharabakh conflict by military means.

OFWI calls on both sides to immediately cease military violence and to return to the negotiating table to come to a peaceful resolution to this dispute.

The OFWI delegation have visited Yerevan, Armenia and Stepanakert, Artsakh (part of the disputed territory in Nagorno-Kharabakh) meeting with local leaders and injured civilians, and surveying the damage.

Your support makes our work possible. Thanks for contributing to our ability to be a voice for the voiceless.

Photos From Fact-Finding Mission in Armenia & Artsakh

OFWI delegation surveying damage and meeting with local leaders in Stepanakert, Artsakh.

Meeting with Artsakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Masis Mayilyan

Meeting with Hon. Ruben Rubinyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations

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News Conference with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Morse Tan

Surveying the damage and praying at the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral. The church was bombed by Azerbaijani forces.

Meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Aivazian and Dr. Arman Tatoyan Human Rights Defender

Conflict in Azerbaijan and Armenia

Briefing on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia

The complex and violent history that Artsakh (Nagorno Kharabakh) and Armenia share with Azerbaijan is long and perplex. The two sides have fought over the Artsakh region, and the dispute has constantly meant armed conflict and loss of lives. Azerbaijan continues to claim authority over Artsakh through military violence and political play, and the world is doing little more than watching from the sidelines.

One Free World International led a humanitarian mission to Karabakh in 2017, Majed El Shafie (left) is seen here on the front lines being briefed by local officials.

• On September 27, 2020 the most serious and large-scale clashes since 2016 have raised the spectre of a new war between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Kharabakh. 

• Azerbaijan and Turkey jointly continue large-scale aerial, missile and land attacks along the entire line of contact between Artsakh (Nagorno Kharabakh) and Azerbaijan, aiming to resolve the Nagorno Kharabakh conflict by military means. To this end, Azerbaijan has put forwarded its entire military capacities, reinforced by Turkish military assistance, which also includes extremist terrorist fighters transferred from other conflict zones in the Middle East. 

• Artsakh, Armenia, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries have repeatedly called and warned the entire international community to stop aggression, hostilities and deliberate targeting of civilian population. On October 3rd,Azerbaijan attacked Kut village in the Vardenis region of the Republic of Armenia and on  the morning of October 4th  Azerbaijani armed forces started attacks on  the cities of Stepanakert (the capital city of Artsakh) and Martakert, using long-range missiles and involvement of the air force, which resulted in human loss and serious damages in civilian settlements and infrastructures in Stepanakert. 

• The attacks are mostly carried out with the coordination of the Turkish military specialists and with the military equipment and armaments provided by Turkey to Azerbaijan within the framework of their military-political cooperation. 

• Sadly, Israel actively supports Azerbaijan in this conflict, continuing its arms sales to Azerbaijan. On October 2nd , Armenia recalled its Ambassador to Israel, issuing a rare diplomatic rebuke over Israel’s arms sales to rival Azerbaijan.  

• To prevent deliberate targeting of civilian population, the Defense Army of Artsakh was forced to attack the military airport in Ganja, Azerbaijan. 

• Azerbaijani armed forces continue deliberate targeting of journalists with the use of artillery and other heavy weaponry with the aim to hinder the coverage from the conflict zone. All journalists have been attacked in the civilian settlements of Artsakh while carrying out their professional activities. Azerbaijan’s actions constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and should be strongly condemned by the International Community. Azerbaijan only provides access to Turkish and Azerbaijani journalists and denies the access of the international media to hinder the objective and independent reporting on the conflict. 

• On October 2, the president of Turkey said, “I hope Azerbaijan will keep fighting until all its lands in Kharabakh are freed”. The Foreign Minister of Turkey warned against attempts to cast shadows on Turkey’s support to Azerbaijan, saying,” We are one nation with Azerbaijan. We are two separate states but we act as one if needed”.

These actions aim at depriving the people of Artsakh of their historical homeland by perpetrating mass atrocities. One Free World International stands with justice and finds the deliberate targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure of Artsakh by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan a gross violation of the international humanitarian law, and the latter should bear full responsibility for this war crime.  

Being a NATO member, Canada should condemn violence and urge NATO to end this conflict. The International Trade and Aid should concentrate on improving the human rights record in Azerbaijan and Turkey, stopping them from violating the human  rights of the civilians of their neighbour country and averting the danger of war. Canada should send observers to monitor the situation on the ground and to take peace-making measures.

One Free World International is ready and eager to present humanitarian aid to the civilians suffering and hurt in the conflict.