Take Real Steps to Urgently Stop the Ongoing Humanitarian Disaster: Ombudsman

The Ombudsman has released a statement regarding the rocket attack by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the Mother Cathedral of Shushi.

The statement is presented below:

1. Today, the Azerbaijani armed forces targeted the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, one of the historical symbols of Armenian architecture, located in the center of Shushi (Nagorno-Karabakh), with two targeted rocket strikes. Shortly after the first rocket strike, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a second targeted strike on the Cathedral. As a result of the attacks, the cathedral sustained significant damage.
2. At the time of the first rocket attack, only children, women, and the elderly were in the basement of the Cathedral. Due to the extremely short interval between the first and second rocket strikes, part of the children, women, and elderly were still present in the basement during the second strike.
3. The urgent findings of the Ombudsman demonstrate that the rocket strike by Azerbaijan on the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi was conducted with the intent to damage the cathedral and deliberately cause death to the children, women, and elderly in the basement, meaning with the intent to kill.
4. The question arises that the day before, a journalistic video was widely circulated online, clearly showing that there were children, women, and the elderly in the basement of the Cathedral. Moreover, women in the video confirm that the Azerbaijani armed forces are carrying out targeted armed attacks on residential houses in the city of Shushi; therefore, they are sheltering in the basement of the Cathedral from these Azerbaijani targeted strikes. Additionally, the civilians in the video mention that the Azerbaijani strikes are so intense that there is no room left in other basements, forcing them to take refuge in the Cathedral's basement.
5. Furthermore, immediately after the first rocket strike on the Cathedral, data including photographs and videos were widely published indicating that civilians were present in the basement at the time of the strike. This information was also released by the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, which Azerbaijani official sources are closely monitoring.
6. Despite this, shortly after the first strike, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a second rocket strike on the Cathedral.
7. All this clearly indicates that Azerbaijani rockets were fired with the criminal intent of unlawfully depriving the lives of the children, women, and elderly in the Cathedral's basement and causing destruction.
8. In addition to the above, three journalists were injured as a result of the rocket strikes on the Cathedral, one of whom is in extremely serious condition. Doctors in the capital of Artsakh, Stepanakert, are fighting for his life. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia reiterates that a journalist's work in a conflict zone is legitimate and aimed at providing objective information to the world about military attacks. Furthermore, the work of journalists has a human rights protection significance and helps prevent the conflict.
9. I would like to particularly note that the city of Shushi is the second city in Artsakh by size and population density, a peaceful settlement. The Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral is located in the center of the city, and there are no military or military facilities nearby.
10. The aforementioned clearly indicates the Azerbaijani criminal intent to destroy the cultural heritage of exceptional historical significance of Armenia with rocket strikes and to kill peaceful residents and international journalists carrying out their professional work. A report substantiating this conclusion, along with evidence and necessary analysis, will be sent tomorrow by the Human Rights Defender to international organizations and embassies in all required formats and procedures.
11. The assessments in this statement are based on urgent fact-finding work, factual data recorded by the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, and the evidence he presented, including interviews with civilians in Shushi. Journalistic videos and other evidence, as well as factual data, have also been taken into account.
12. I once again urgently draw the attention of the international community to these extremely dangerous phenomena, the ongoing humanitarian disaster, in order to take real steps to urgently stop it.

Arman Tatoyan
Human Rights Defender of Armenia