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One Artsakh civilian was injured in Azerbaijani shooting last night, Armenia’s new Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan said on Thursday.

“I am in constant contact with Artsakh’s ombudsman and prosecutor general. Yesterday, there were intensive shootings in the direction of Khramort village of the Askeran region and Karmir Shuka and Khnushinak villages of the Martuni region. During the day, the shootings in the direction of Khramort were accompanied by the criminal acts of exerting psychological pressure against the civilian population by issuing "warnings" in Armenian language over a loudspeaker for the population to leave the village,” she said in a statement.

“The criminal act against the civilian population intensified overnight in the direction of Khramort village, where Azerbaijani forces used mortars, as a result of which one civilian was wounded. The enemy also demonstratively accumulated heavy equipment (tanks) near the village. For safety reasons, women and children were evacuated overnight to a more secure place, however, according to the information provided by my colleagues, they have returned to the village in the morning," the ombudsperson noted.

Grigoryan denounced the ongoing criminal policy of the Azerbaijani military-political leadership.

“It is evident that the ultimate goal of such acts is to evict Artsakh Armenians from their settlements as part of Azerbaijan's ongoing policy of Armenophobia and ethnic hatred," she stated.

"On the other hand, the irresponsible conduct of the Azerbaijani state is aimed at damaging the reputation of the Russian peacekeeping mission and undermining the enormous efforts made to ensure the peaceful life of the civilian population.

"Today, I will pass information on these incidents to the relevant international organizations and embassies,” reads the statement.