Documents on Shelling Passed to Human Rights Defender from Chinari Village

Documents related to shelling have been transferred to the Office of the Human Rights Defender from the village of Chinari. A new report will be sent to international organizations.

The village of Chinari in Armenia's Tavush region was targeted by Azerbaijani shelling on July 13, 2020. Reports have been received from local residents and the village chief regarding targeted attacks. According to these reports, approximately ten shells were fired from the Azerbaijani side, damaging residential buildings in the village.

Photographs documenting the damage to one of the houses were submitted to the Human Rights Defender’s Office from Chinari. In another incident, the roof of a residential house was damaged while children were inside at the time of the shelling.

Immediately following the alerts directed to the Human Rights Defender, an official statement was recorded from the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, indicating that Azerbaijani armed forces had fired seven shells from an 82mm mortar and three shells from a 120mm mortar towards the settlement of Chinari.

The alerts to the Human Rights Defender, the official statements from Armenian state bodies, and social media posts indicate that a civilian settlement in Armenia has been targeted, creating a real threat to the lives and health of peaceful residents, as well as causing damage to property.

The Human Rights Defender maintains direct contact with the residents of villages in Armenia's Tavush region and the administrative bodies of communities. A comprehensive observation is being conducted, along with independent gathering of information and evidence.

The Human Rights Defender strongly condemns the shelling of a civilian settlement in Armenia, targeting peaceful residents and threatening their health, lives, and property. This is particularly reprehensible in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN Secretary-General had called for an immediate cessation of armed conflicts in all corners of the globe as of March 23, 2020, due to the dangers posed by the coronavirus.

These reports will also be summarized and sent to international organizations in accordance with established procedures. The Human Rights Defender will issue an additional statement on this matter.