Video: Charektar Residents Burn Homes, Yet Village May Remain with Artsakh

Recently, the Armenian government published the names of 121 settlements in Artsakh that have either come under or will come under Azerbaijani control according to the signed ceasefire agreement. Among these settlements is the village of Charektar, the status of which remains contentious as to whether it has been handed over to Azerbaijan or not.

Since yesterday, intense rumors have circulated online that residents of Charektar have burned their homes in preparation for evacuation, but it later emerged that the village might not be surrendered to Azerbaijan. To clarify this information, Lurer.com contacted Charektar resident Rouzana Azaryan, who told us that the village has already come under Azerbaijani control. “The roads were closed yesterday, and my husband is stuck in the village; he couldn't even take his passport to leave via the Lachin corridor. He asked me to send money so he can find transportation to come back,” said Rouzana.

In an interview with the news outlet, she also noted that the entire village has been vacated, with only her husband and her father-in-law remaining. “Until the very last moment, there were residents there; we hosted our soldiers in our homes, and they came to guard our village. However, the residents have left in the last two days,” Rouzana stated.

She confirmed that villagers have burned not only their homes but also schools. “Some homes were not burned; they were bombed and destroyed. They burned the old school and removed the roof of the new school. There were 55 families in the village, and only 5 houses remain that have not been blown up or burned,” emphasized Rouzana.

Despite Rouzana's claims, Charektar's mayor, Kamo Tsakanian, shared a different perspective. “Initially, when we learned that Karvachar was to be handed over to Azerbaijan, we were sure that Charektar would also be handed over. Who would have known it would turn out this way? Charektar has not been handed over to Azerbaijan because it was previously in the Martakert region,” explained the mayor.

When asked why the road leading to the village had been closed since yesterday, he replied that he did not know the reason, but it is now open and he is going to Charektar. “As much as I hope it will be resettled, I still believe Charektar will serve as a base for the armed forces of Armenia,” concluded Kamo Tsakanian.

What appears to be the case is that the official announcement includes Charektar among the villages to be surrendered to Azerbaijan, while the mayor insists that the village will remain under Armenian administration, all the while residents continue to burn their homes to prevent Azerbaijanis from taking control. In an effort to understand the fate awaiting the village, we tried for hours to reach Mane Gevorgyan and Vahram Poghosyan, without success. It remains unclear who should officially inform the villagers and guide their actions.