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The Azerbaijani troops, that have invaded Armenia's Gegharkunik Province, have built large shelters, stocked up on firewood and concreted the roads leading to their positions. Their activity has recently increased significantly, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said on Monday.

Moreover, according to him, the construction of new roads continues and the number of soldiers and weapons at the positions has increased. Active engineering and fortification works on the positions are constantly underway.

"It’s about the illegal deployment of Azerbaijani servicemen on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and their criminal actions. They are physically present on those land plots, which are legally owned by Armenian citizens," the ombudsman wrote on Facebook.

In Tatoyan’s words, all these reports were confirmed by the fact-finding mission of the ombudsman’s office in Gegharkunik with verified data from several sources.

"These are the same Azerbaijani positions from where they are committing terrorist actions against Armenian civilians. They repeatedly open fire at Verin Shorzha, Sotk and Kut villages as well as other settlements of Gegharkunik Province, in particular at residential houses, set fire to pastures and hayfields owned by civilians. Soldiers in these positions have also committed numerous thefts of livestock owned by residents," Tatoyan stated.

He reiterated that the presence of Azerbaijani forces near Armenian villages, moreover on the sovereign territory of Armenia, is explicitly unlawful and is in itself a violation of the rights of villagers to life and security, property, income, etc. Their presence disrupts people's peaceful life.

Thus, Tatoyan stressed, it is necessary to immediately launch the process of creating a demilitarized security zone around the borders of Armenia and withdraw the Azerbaijani servicemen from the vicinity of Armenian villages and the roads linking Armenian communities.

This recommendation has been included in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Resolution 2391 of September 27, 2021. Tatoyan said he will submit relevant reports to other international organizations, Armenian government bodies and civil society organizations.