Drone Strike Hits Location Where They Were Standing: Ombudsman Reveals Details

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, has addressed the injury of a 14-year-old child due to the use of a drone by the Azerbaijani armed forces near the Sotk community, close to the town of Vardenis in Gegharkunik Province. He wrote:

“1. On the morning of October 14, around 9:00 AM, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched drone strikes in the direction of the Sotk community, close to the town of Vardenis. As a result of these drone strikes, a heavy injury was sustained by a child, 14-year-old N.A. from Vardenis, who is currently in the intensive care unit of a hospital. The drone strikes targeted areas with agricultural significance, where peaceful civilians, including children, were present at that moment as they were engaged in seasonal potato harvesting.

This information has been confirmed by the community leader and residents who appealed to the Human Rights Defender. Subsequently, this information has also been reported extensively in several media outlets.

2. Following the instructions of the Human Rights Defender, a special rapid response group, including a doctor, was sent on the same day to a civilian medical institution, Yerevan’s “Saint Astvatsamayr” medical center, to conduct fact-finding work. During the visit, private conversations were held with the injured child, his father, and the medical staff. Additionally, several issues were also discussed with the community leader.

3. It has been established that on the morning of October 14, the injured 14-year-old child, along with his 16-year-old brother and father, went to their family-owned agricultural land for seasonal harvesting. Shortly after, they heard the sounds of drones. Upon hearing these sounds, the injured child and the other family members attempted to flee from the drone strike. Almost immediately afterwards, the drone struck the exact location where they had been standing. This fact specifically confirms the criminal intent of the Azerbaijani armed forces to target peaceful civilians and unlawfully deprive them of their lives.

4. The Human Rights Defender emphasizes the vital importance of current seasonal harvesting activities in Gegharkunik Province for each family. In many cases, this is the primary source of income for the family. This is also reasoned by the fact that family members typically conduct the harvesting activities together. It is noteworthy that, as mentioned by the injured child, he and his older brother, as well as other children from their community, are deprived of the opportunity to attend school due to ongoing drone shelling by the Azerbaijani armed forces, as schools in Vardenis and surrounding communities have been targeted by drone strikes and are therefore temporarily closed.

5. According to information provided to the Human Rights Defender’s office by doctors at “Saint Astvatsamayr” medical center, the child’s condition is currently assessed as serious. The child is suffering from a right-sided pneumothorax, a left-sided penetrating hemopneumothorax, blunt abdominal trauma, a subcapsular hematoma of the spleen, and there are fragments present in the right-side tissue. The child has experienced blood loss.

6. As an independent national institution for the protection of human rights, as well as a body responsible for the ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Defender strictly condemns the indiscriminate attacks by the Azerbaijani armed forces against peaceful civilians, including children, which lead to gross violations of children’s rights and absolute disregard for the fundamental requirements of international law. International organizations active in the field of human rights, particularly children's rights, must take urgent measures to ensure appropriate legal assessments of these incidents and to prevent their recurrence in the future. Indiscriminate and often targeted attacks against children must undergo the strictest condemnation by the international community.”