To investigate the circumstances of the aggressive war unleashed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against Artsakh on September 27, 2020, which involved gross violations of international humanitarian law, the law enforcement bodies of the republic launched a series of criminal cases and seized many unexploded shells and their remains.

The unexploded rocket that was found on the territory of Martouni and samples obtained from it were handed over for forensic examination to the Investigative Committee of Armenia, the General Prosecutor's Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As a result of the examination conducted by an independent expert group, it was proved that it was a phosphorus ammunition consisting of white phosphorus.

The entire process of finding, neutralization and selection of the ammunition was carried out with the participation of specialists, with a fixed video recording; the subject and materials of the examination can be transferred for examination to international experts, if necessary.

Thus, according to the results of the expert study, it has been confirmed that during the 44-day war in 2020, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces used chemical weapons, causing massive destruction and large numbers of casualties, to keep under direct fire those settlements in which there were civilians. By doing so, Azerbaijan grossly violated Article 35 of the Geneva Convention (Protocol 1), according to which:

• In the event of any armed conflict the right of the parties to the conflict to choose methods and means of warfare shall not be unlimited.
• It is prohibited to use weapons, projectiles, substances or methods of warfare likely to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.
• It is prohibited to use methods or means of warfare which are intended to cause, or are likely to cause, widespread, long-term and severe damage to the environment.