BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. Countries with a
colonial past must apologize, Azerbaijani MP Nizami Safarov said,
Trend’s correspondent
reports from the event.


Safarov made the announcement at an international conference on
“Belgium’s colonial injustice and 101-year path to
reparations.”


“It is my firm belief that countries with a colonial past that
have committed crimes against humanity and genocide in the past
must apologize. This is a legal issue,” the MP said.


Moreover, Safarov noted that colonialism is a complex issue with
political, legal, economic, and socio-humanitarian aspects.
According to him, one of the fundamental issues from a legal
standpoint is the legal characterization of acts committed during
the colonial period.


“Undoubtedly, the actions and crimes committed by certain states
can be classified in only one way: as crimes against humanity,” he
emphasized.


The lawmaker stated that the concept of crimes against humanity
emerged in connection with the transatlantic slave trade, and this
term was reflected in a number of articles published by American
universities in the mid-19th century.


According to him, there are also important legal precedents for
classifying crimes committed during the colonial period as crimes
against humanity.


N. Safarov drew attention to the ruling of the Brussels Court of
Appeals in this context. He noted that the court classified the
separation of mixed-race children from their families, their
relocation to other places, as well as their discrimination and
segregation by the Belgian authorities during the colonial period
as a crime against humanity.


“This is a very important symbolic ruling that holds great
significance as a groundbreaking legal precedent,” the MP said.


Nizami Safarov also addressed the issue of the right of victims
of colonialism to compensation. He recalled that the draft articles
of the UN Commission on International Law on the Responsibility of
States for Acts Contrary to International Law provide for
compensation, restitution, and reparations.


According to the MP, since restitution implies restoring the
previous situation, this is impossible in many cases involving acts
committed during the colonial period. Therefore, the issues of
damages and compensation are of particular importance.


He emphasized that satisfaction entails an apology from the
state that committed the act contrary to international law, whereas
compensation entails financial compensation for the damage
caused.