Anush Apetyan (Armenian: Անուշ Ապետյան), (1986 – 13 or 14 September 2022) was an Armenian soldier who was tortured, mutilated, raped[1][2][3] and killed by Azerbaijani forces during the September 2022 Armenia–Azerbaijan clashes in the city of Jermuk.[3][4][5] Apetyan had three children, aged 16, 15 and 4.[6]
Killing
editDuring the invasion by Azerbaijan of the Armenian lands between September 13 and 14, an Armenian soldier named Anush Apetyan was captured alive by Azerbaijani forces alongside more than 10 Armenian soldiers captured alive, upon the Armenian Ministry of Defense.[3]
After that, the video of torture and mutilation of a woman captured by Azerbaijani soldiers was first released on Telegram and after a while it was found that the woman is the Armenian soldier Anush Apetyan. In that video it was obvious that she had been tortured and mutilated, her legs were cut off, at least one finger was cut off and placed in her mouth, and one eye was poked out and replaced with a stone, and it was while the Azerbaijani soldiers surrounding her were celebrating and mocking her.[4][5][7]
Reactions
editOn 20 September 2022 Dicle Amed Women's Platform (DAKP) spokesperson Kıymet Yıldır recalled and condemned the killing of Anush Apetyan by Azerbaijani forces, during the gathering of women in some cities of Turkey like Van, Diyarbakır and Istanbul which held to condemning both the killing of Jina Amini by the Iranian police and also Anush Apetyan.[8]
Armenian Women's Union issued a statement read by co-chairs Anahîd Qasabyan and Arbî Kespiryan, at the Leader Öcalan Park in Hasakah, AANES, condemned the killing of Armenian female soldier Anush Apetyan by Azerbaijani forces and of Jina Amini by the Iranian regime, and call on all women to unite against tyranny.[9]
Senator Bob Menendez, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, called for an end to financial and military aid to Azerbaijan after the discovery of this video, considering that the foreign policy of the United States cannot assist terrorist states that commit war crimes.[10][11]
For the Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide, this war crime is part of a “genocidal policy” on the part of Azerbaijan towards the Armenian population.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Aserbaidschanische Armee filmt tödliche Folter einer Armenierin". infosperber (in Swiss High German). 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- ^ "Armenien: Aserbaidschaner verübten Gräueltaten an toter Frau". www.t-online.de (in German). 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- ^ a b c "War strategy: Torture and rape". Jinhagency News. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Lemkin Institute: Azerbaijan is committing slow genocide against Armenians with Turkish support". Lemkin Institute. Sep 21, 2022. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ a b "Ermeni Haber: I wrote the book on ISIS, but I couldn't stand to see what Azeri soldiers did to Apetyan (in Turkish), 19 September 2022". Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ "Providence: Why are Turkey and Azerbaijan targeting Armenia and Greece?". news.am. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ "Azerbaijani Atrocities, Including Mutilation of Female Soldier, Detailed to Foreign Diplomats – Asbarez.com". Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ "Women condemn killing of Mahsa Amini in Van, Amed and Istanbul". Jinhagency News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ "Armenian Women's Union: Burn headscarves!". Jinhagency News. Retrieved Sep 25, 2022.
- ^ "Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds A Hearing Assessing US Policy In The Caucasus". YouTube (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- ^ "Assessing U.S. Policy in the Caucasus | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations". www.foreign.senate.gov. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-26.