Khayal Bashirov: Despite 30 years of injustice, Azerbaijan tried all legal and diplomatic paths for peace

For nearly 30 years, Azerbaijan faced a major conflict, blatant injustice, and a reality in which international law failed to function. Throughout this period, President Ilham Aliyev sought to use all possible diplomatic and legal means to resolve the conflict peacefully.

These remarks were made by political commentator Khayal Bashirov in a statement to The Daily Baku.

According to him, all key mechanisms of international law existed for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict: four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, documents adopted by the General Assembly, decisions of the OSCE, as well as numerous statements by international organizations, all of which clearly confirmed Azerbaijan’s just position. “All these documents indicated that Armenia was the occupying party and that its armed forces had to withdraw from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the international community did not take real steps to ensure the implementation of these documents,” Khayal Bashirov emphasized.

According to him, it was against the backdrop of this legal injustice that the Second Karabakh War took place. “However, Azerbaijan viewed this war not only as the liberation of territories, but as a comprehensive solution to all the political, legal, and security problems created by the conflict as a whole,” the expert stated.

Khayal Bashirov noted that Azerbaijan ensured its territorial integrity through the Second Karabakh War and fully restored its sovereignty through anti terrorism measures carried out in September 2023. In parallel, legal processes were launched to ensure that individuals who committed grave crimes against the Azerbaijani people during the former conflict period would be held accountable.

According to the expert, the court proceedings held at the Baku Military Court were conducted with full transparency and in full compliance with international legal norms. “We are talking about crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, and the waging of an aggressive war. These crimes are considered the gravest offenses in any country in the world,” he said.

Khayal Bashirov emphasized that bringing to justice individuals who were part of the leadership of the so called regime, including Araik Arutyunyan, has created a unique legal precedent in the history of Azerbaijan. According to him, during the court proceedings all the rights of the defendants were ensured, and the decisions were based on evidence and the law.

The expert stated that there is now de facto peace in Azerbaijan Armenia relations. “The political seal of peace was already placed in Washington on August 8, 2025. However, for the peace agreement to be legally finalized, amendments must be made to Armenia’s Constitution,” he noted.

In his view, the existence of territorial claims against Azerbaijan in Armenia’s Constitution is the main obstacle to signing a peace agreement. “If the basic law of a state contains territorial claims against another state, a peace document signed with that state cannot be real or sustainable,” Khayal Bashirov stressed.

In conclusion, the expert stated that Azerbaijan has repeatedly expressed its position on this matter openly, and this position fully complies with international law. “President Ilham Aliyev has fulfilled all the commitments he undertook. Today, Azerbaijan has restored not only its territorial integrity, but also historical and legal justice. This approach serves as an example for both the region and the international community,” he added.