During the unprecedented military attacks on Artsakh’s indigenous population by Azerbaijan, Turkish and Isreali drones were heavily utilized. During careful analysis and publication of photographs of downed Turkish Bayraktar drones it became apparent that American manufacturers were supplying critical components for these weapons systems. One such component was the navigation unit produced by the American company, Garmin Ltd., were found within these drones during the war. The United States Armenian Council for Human Rights sent a letter to Garmin stressing the concerns from the American-Armenian community of the misuse of their products in machines used to target civilians and civilian centers by Azerbaijan and Turkey.
As it was brought to the company’s attention, Garmin released a statement intending to condemn, but also indicate their noninvolvement in Bayraktar’s procurement of Garmin’s products. The company stated on November 4th:
“It has been brought to Garmin’s attention that one of our products has been incorporated into drones that are being used in Bayraktar UAVs to kill innocent civilians in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). We condemn this violence in the strongest terms, and we are heartbroken for the loved ones of those who have been killed. The Garmin product used in these drones is a commercial, non-military product that is widely available for purchase. It is not designed or intended for military use, and it is not even designed or intended for use in drones. We are investigating how our products ended up in these drones, and we will take appropriate action following our investigation to guard against our products being used again in this manner.”
Despite Garmin acknowledging community concerns, members of USACHR sent a follow up letter, addressing some of the inaccuracies within their statement of their product. While the GNC 255 Navigation is widely available for purchase as Garmin had stated, the modified version of it that is equipped with VOR/localizer receiver was not, which USACHR explained. The product used within these drones was not in fact a commercial product and was being used for military purposes to attack innocent and unarmed civilians of Artsakh and Armenia.
Prior to the protest, the United States Armenian Council for Human Rights coordinated with leaders of the Armenian community in Kansas and jointly organized a protest at Garmin headquarters, to raise awareness of how their technological aide is being abused during the war. Individuals from Los Angeles, Kansas, and Saint Louis, as well as USACHR members, came together to urge the company to cease its technological military assistance with Turkey and Azerbaijan, who use their products to commit war crimes.
Representatives from Garmin Ltd. assured USACHR and protesters that Garmin would investigate how their products were modified and advise individual sellers to discontinue selling Garmin products to Baykar, due to humanitarian concerns. Following the protest, the company had released a second statement on November 9th on their corporate website:
“It has been brought to Garmin’s attention that one of our products has been incorporated into Bayraktar UAVs deployed in the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Garmin product used in these drones is a commercial, non-military product that is widely and legally available for purchase on the open market. It is not designed or intended for military use, and it is not even designed or intended for use in drones. We have investigated how our products ended up in these drones, and we can confirm that we do not sell any products directly to Baykar. Further, we are contacting our independent dealers to instruct them to cease selling Garmin products to Baykar and any other persons or companies they have reason to suspect are engaged in nefarious activities. We want to thank all those who brought this to our attention.”
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