BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. A
photo exhibition highlighting the mine warfare waged by Armenia
against Azerbaijan has opened in Geneva.
This was reported by the Azerbaijani Agency for State Support to
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
The exhibition, organized by the "Gilavar" Photo Club Public
Union, was displayed on October 5 at the Palace of Nations (the UN
Office at Geneva) complex, in front of the iconic "Broken Chair"
monument.
The exhibition featured documentary photographs depicting the
life stories of Azerbaijanis affected by mine explosions and
illustrating the severe consequences of such blasts. Visitors were
also shown images documenting the destruction caused in Azerbaijani
territories during the occupation, as well as the restoration and
reconstruction efforts currently underway in Karabakh and East
Zangezur.
Head of the "Gilavar" Photo Club, Rashad Mehdiyev, said that the
exhibition calls upon the international community to support the
initiative to designate a "mine-free world" as the 18th UN
Sustainable Development Goal. He noted that 60 million people
worldwide live under the threat of mines, and Azerbaijan is among
the countries most severely affected by this problem.
Mehdiyev pointed out that Armenia had planted more than 1.5
million mines in the Azerbaijani territories it held under
occupation. He emphasized that the discovery of mines in
residential areas, cemeteries, and around a number of mass graves
posed a serious threat to the civilian population.
The exhibition visitors were informed about Armenia's failure to
provide accurate data and maps regarding mined areas, as well as
issues concerning the reliability of the maps that were supplied.
During the exhibition, it was highlighted that the mine threat
hinders the return of formerly displaced persons to their native
lands and delays restoration and reconstruction efforts, while also
endangering human life and health, the environment, and
agriculture.
The "Gilavar" Photo Club plans to continue its international
campaign supporting the "mine-free world" initiative in other
European countries.
The organization is a winner of the 2026 grant competition
titled "Initiatives regarding the problem of mines and unexploded
ordnance," jointly announced by the NGO Agency and the Karabakh
Revival Fund.
