Lessons Must Be Learned from Historical Facts and the Rights of Residents in Border Villages of Armenia Must Be Guaranteed: Ombudsman

The rights of villagers and their peaceful and normal lives should be a primary concern in the resolution of border disputes. This was stated by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, on his Facebook page.

“The rights of villagers and their peaceful and normal lives should be a priority in the process of resolving border disputes. For instance, in the 1920s, one of the ongoing concerns for Armenian villagers in Soviet Armenia's border settlements was the attacks and looting by bands from Azerbaijani territories (also from the later Red Kurds), the theft of livestock, and the sale of lands by Armenian villagers to Azerbaijani landowners, which were then illegally reclaimed,” he wrote.

For example, a report addressed to the Central Executive Committee of the Armenian SSR from the Zangezur Provincial Executive Committee dated July 3, 1922, states that without urgently resolving the issues of land and administrative borders between Zangezur and Gubatly, “there cannot be normal life and friendly relations.” In the second half of 1925, several reports directed from the Zangezur provincial executive committee to the Haykenth executive committee related to border disputes between Kapan and Gubatly were also expressed due to similar reasons. Such issues were raised in a report sent on October 18, 1926, to the agricultural department of the People’s Commissariat of the Armenian SSR, and so on.

Historical documents attest that local Azerbaijani administrations and the Communist Party of Azerbaijan constantly accused Armenian villagers living in the border settlements of Zangezur of violations and engaging in illegal activities on their own territory. Border disputes and Azerbaijani provocations have always contributed to these accusations. In essence, these have been methods for the occupation of the territory of the Armenian SSR.

We must learn lessons from these historical facts and ensure the rights of residents in Armenia's border villages at multiple levels in our time,” Tatoyan concluded.