Your trusted source

Azerbaijani servicemen deliberately set fires near the villages of Sotk and Kut in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province starting Sunday morning, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said in a statement on Facebook.

“Throughout the day, the fires set near the village of Sotk in Gegharkunik Province were extinguished, while the fires near Kut could not be contained and spread due to weather conditions,” he said, sharing several photos.

Tatoyan called attention to the fact that those areas are grasslands and pastures owned by Armenian villagers, which are being destroyed by the fires.

“Given that the Azerbaijani armed forces have invaded and are stationed in the immediate vicinity of the villages in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, these fires pose a serious threat to the civilian population of the villages as well,” the ombudsman said.

According to him, the inspections show that these subversive criminal acts against the civilian population of Armenia are carried out intentionally.

“First of all, the Azerbaijani servicemen clearly realize that they are stationed in pastures and grasslands owned by civilians, as well as arable lands, and that people cannot even use the areas adjacent to the Azerbaijani positions, because they start shooting even when people just approach those places.

“In addition, the Azerbaijani servicemen realize that due to the current weather conditions the fires will spread rapidly and will destroy areas belonging to people, depriving them of a source of income,” Tatoyan said, stating the Azerbaijani actions are also aimed at intimidating the Armenian civilians.

In his words, there is no alternative to the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia to guarantee the rights of Armenia’s border residents and their peaceful and secure life.

“Recent Azerbaijani actions in Syunik, Gegharkunik and Ararat, including shootings, show that they are becoming more and more dangerous to civilians, are deliberate and targeted, coupled with widespread human rights abuses.

“The regular report of the Armenian human rights defender containing relevant proposals or demands will be submitted to international organizations, as well as Armenia’s government agencies and civil society organizations, on Monday, August 30,” the statement said.