Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan's modern history is going through an important stage marked by the restoration of justice and the triumph of national will. Ending the policy of occupation that lasted for many years and ensuring the country's territorial integrity and complete sovereignty is regarded not only as a military and political success, but also as the restoration of historical justice. This process is of special importance in terms of recognizing the rights of the Azerbaijani people and realizing the principle of international justice.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, at this fateful stage, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev came to the fore with his resolute stance and principled policy. Even before the war, the head of state had openly declared that those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people, including the Khojaly genocide, would sooner or later be held accountable before the court of justice. He emphasized that the blood of innocent victims would not be left unavenged and that justice would certainly be ensured.
Today, the fulfillment of the promises made clearly demonstrates the strength of the Azerbaijani state and its commitment to the principle of justice. The unity of the people's trust and political will played a decisive role in the country's modern history and laid the groundwork for the restoration of historical justice. Under Ilham Aliyev's leadership, Azerbaijan ensured its territorial integrity by its own strength, despite all pressures. The President's raising of the State Flag in Khojaly was the spiritual peak of this path. As the head of state noted, this event confirmed that the blood of the Khojaly victims was not left unavenged and marked the logical conclusion of the Victory.
After Azerbaijan ended the war with victory, it brought to justice those criminals who, over the course of 30 years, had occupied its territories and committed war crimes, genocide, and other inhumane acts. In connection with these court proceedings, strong and unfounded political pressure from abroad was exerted against Azerbaijan, but this factor had no impact on the state's principled stance. This issue once again proves that for Azerbaijan, justice and the rule of law stand above political interests and external influence. As a result of Ilham Aliyev's firm will, bringing to justice those who have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes is being carried out consistently and in a principled manner.
History shows that some states have tried to take a principled stance on this issue. Israel is one of the most frequently cited examples. After World War II, Adolf Eichmann, one of the key figures of the Nazi regime who took part in the extermination of millions of Jews, was found in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1960 and brought to Israel. He was tried in a public court in Jerusalem in 1961 and executed in 1962. This incident demonstrated that grave crimes are not forgotten with the passage of time. However, during the same period, individuals such as Josef Mengele, who committed crimes at the Auschwitz camp, hid for years in Latin America and died unpunished in Brazil in 1979. This fact also proves that not all such criminals are held accountable before justice.
The path chosen by Azerbaijan is different, and at the core of this approach lies not only the restoration of territorial integrity but also the delivery of justice. The principle that crimes must not go unpunished forms the basis of Azerbaijan's view of the conflict, and this model fully aligns with the fundamental requirements of international humanitarian law. It is precisely thanks to this approach that the legal investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity became possible.
During the open and transparent trial, the factual evidence presented, archival materials, testimonies of victims, and confessions of the accused revealed the direct role of the Armenian state in its occupation policy. Lyova Mnatsakanyan, questioned in court, openly stated that the armed forces of the former so-called regime were not an independent structure, but in fact operated as one of the largest military formations of the Armenian army.
The court proceedings once again confirmed that Armenia had created a so-called regime in order to conceal its occupation policy from the international community. The leaders of that regime acted as the main executors of this policy in Karabakh.
All these facts once again show that Azerbaijan is among the rare states that does not limit the outcome of a conflict to military victory alone, but completes it in the legal and moral domains as well. The main goal here is not to settle scores with the past, but to create fair and sustainable foundations for the future. Openly naming the crimes and exposing both the perpetrators and those who ordered them through legal means creates an important precedent not only for Azerbaijani society, but for the international legal system as a whole.
This approach proves that justice should not be a victim of political conjuncture, double standards, or the time factor. The path chosen under Ilham Aliyev's leadership demonstrated that if a state has the determination to protect the rights of its citizens, even the most complex international pressures cannot shake that will. Azerbaijan's experience shows that the durability of peace in the post-war period depends precisely on ensuring justice.