Baku. 20 February. REPORT.AZ/ The Legal Analysis and Research Public Union has prepared a statement regarding an illegal international football tournament in Khankendi to be submitted to FIFA, Confederation of Independent Football Associations and UN.
The reason is that the European football championship among the teams representing unrecognized separatist regions at the Khankendi city of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia will be organized this year in June.
According to Ramil Iskandarli, chairman of the Legal Analysis and Research Public Union, the appeal to the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), the “Confederation of Independent Football Associations”, and the relevant UN bodies have been prepared on behalf of his organization. It is noted in the appeal that this kind of event is of particular concern due to the fact that this is, first of all, a territorial claim against a range of the UN-recognized countries and, particularly due to the fact that this tournament will be held in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
“This event, which will be held with the support of Armenia, is legally inconsistent with the principles of international law and Azerbaijan’s legislation and at the same time a sign of disrespect to Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Whereas recently partial progress has been made in the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by means of negotiations, in the background of the statements of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs suggesting the conflicting parties about preparation of the country’s population for peace, holding of such a provocative international competition in the occupied territories without the consent of the Azerbaijani state proves that Armenia’s peaceful intentions are doubtful. As a Legal Analysis and Research Public Union, we strongly condemn such provocative activities by Armenia and the “Confederation of Independent Football Associations” and demand that relevant international organizations express their views on this issue,” Iskandarli said.
Participation of such separatist regions as Lugansk People’s Republic, Lapland, Nagorno-Karabakh, County of Nice, Chameria, Abkhazia, Sardinia, Padania and Donetsk People’s Republic, Western Armenia, South Ossetia which are not recognized by the international community as well as the United Nations is expected.