Ombudsmen of Armenia and Artsakh published a joint report on use  of weapons of mass destruction by Azerbaijan in Artsakh

ArmInfo.The Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) published an ad hoc report on the use of  incendiary ammunition of mass destruction (incendiary weapon)  containing chemical elements (possibly white phosphorus) against  Artsakh by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

As reported in a statement, received by ArmInfo, findings of the  report are based on the evidence presented in the report (18+ photos  of civilians' body injuries, map illustrations, etc.). Specific  findings are based on studies of the Military Medicine Faculty of the  Yerevan State Medical University After Mkhitar Heratsi.  

Joint studies the two human rights institutions proofed that the  incendiary ammunition was used against civilian objects and forests  of Artsakh, causing long-term severe damage to peaceful population  and environment.  

In many cases of use of incendiary mass destruction ammunition  forests are close to civilian communities (e.g. Nngi, Sghnakh,  Aknaghbyur, Taghavard, Togh, Qarin Tak): even in cases of 100-meter  distance.  

Hence, the issue is also related to the long-term inevitable damage  to the life and health of the civilian population.  

The joint fact-finding missions of the two Human Rights Defenders  revealed that overall approximately 1815 hectares forest area was  damaged almost in all regions of Artsakh.  Considering the  specificities of the ammunition, this number may increase even if its  use will not continue any more.  

Moreover, it was also reported that in civilian communities (e.g.  Nngi, Taghavard, Aknaghbyur) destructions to the objects  indispensable to the survival of the civilian population were caused  (e.g. gas pipelines).  

The current ad hoc report established at least the following facts,  irrespective from the concrete type of the chemical element of the  used ammunition:  1) the used ammunition has nature of massive  destruction; 

2) ammunitions contain chemical elements; 

3) are used towards forests, causing mass fires and long-term severe  damage to environment; 

4) according to expert assessments, the fire, caused by this type of  weapon is not stopped even with the extinguishing materials or water; 

5) the forests where these ammunitions were used, are located close  to the civilian communities; 

6) according to the fact-finding activities, civilians, who were  probably damaged from the use of the ammunition, are hiding from  attacks of Azerbaijani military forces in those forests; 

7) the use of this ammunition against civilian objects is prohibited  by the international law and may entail to war crime.