Your trusted source

The government of Armenia is obliged to take active steps to guarantee the rights of the Armenian citizens and the entire population of Armenia, while the international community should abandon its passive stance and immediately take decisive measures to prevent the blatantly illegal and criminal acts, the continuous human rights violations and the real threats of further violations by the Azerbaijani armed forces, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said in a statement on Wednesday.

In particular, the evidence gathered by the human rights defender of Armenia also confirms that on 25 May the Azerbaijani troops illegally staying in the village of Verin Shorzha in the Vardenis community of Gegharkunik Province, which is a part of the sovereign territory of Armenia, presented to the Armenian servicemen blatantly illegal demands to abandon the area where they were present, provoked a scuffle and intentionally shot and killed an Armenian soldier.

According to the gathered evidence, in the days preceding the latest incident, the Azerbaijani military regularly tried to provoke clashes and brawl, while illegally being in the sovereign territory of Armenia. These incidents occurred both in Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces.

The ombudsman specifically underlines that these incidents also pose a threat to the civilian population of Armenia. These are the areas which serve as pastures and hayfields for the civilian population. They graze their large and small cattle in these areas and live there during spring, summer and autumn.

According to the conviction of the human rights defender, the described concrete acts of the Azerbaijani servicemen pose a serious threat, in fact, to the civilian population of Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces (for example, their attempts of illegal advance towards the villages of Khoznavar, Verishen, Akner, Kut, Ayrk, Verin Shorzha, etc.).

“These actions should be viewed within the context of their illegal incursion into the sovereign territory of Armenia on May 12 and 13, 2021, the threatening of the shepherds of the villages of Gegharkunik and Syunik with murder and captivity, their provocation near the border areas and creation of tensions within the civilian population of Armenia,” Tatoyan said.

“These acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces should also be viewed within the context of the policies of Armenophobia and enmity pursued by the authorities of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the regular criminal acts of the Azerbaijani troops against the border residents of Armenia should also be taken into consideration (the throwing of stones at an Armenian civilian car on the Goris-Kapan road, the dragging of the shepherd of Aravus, and punching him in the eye, the blocking of the road from Grois to Chakaten with an Azerbaijani car, and grossly violating the right of free movement of the residents of the villages, the threating of the border residents of Armenia, including the shepherds, the refusal to return the cattle that crosses into areas under Azerbaijani control, and other incidents).

“Therefore, it is evident that these reveal the real threat of the Azerbaijani armed forces directed at the Armenian citizens and the entire population of Armenia, which also undermine peace and security in the region.

“The human rights defender will continue sending reports based on evidence about the real situation on the ground to the international organizations,” he said.