I believe this village is not for us: Mayor of Great Shen, Shushi

Security issues in the village of Great Shen, which remains under Armenian control in the Shushi region, are unresolved, and residents have abandoned the village. The community leader is unable to get a response from the authorities in Artsakh regarding the fate of Great Shen.

In an interview with Lragir.am, Mayor Davit Davtyan stated that he has submitted his resignation, as he can no longer work under these conditions. "The village school has been closed because there are no students, people are not returning. Security is completely lacking. Our authorities do not want to intervene in any way to resolve the issue, the village is ignored in every way. I cannot speak with anyone from the authorities either by phone or in person. It is a matter of indifference," noted Davtyan.

It should be recalled that the villages of Great Shen and Old Shen, which remain under Armenian control, were under Azerbaijani blockade at the end of last year. Azerbaijanis demanded that Armenian forces withdraw from the border. For security reasons, the residents of Great Shen have left the village.

The community leader pointed out that it is painful that the authorities of Artsakh do not want to solve the problems. "In the neighboring village of Old Shen, there are Russian peacekeepers, and our Armenian army is also present, but they do not want to provide any resolution to the issue in Great Shen, which is why the population does not want to return," he added.

Davit Davtyan indicated that Azerbaijanis are moving through the territory of the village. There is always a risk they could enter the village since security is not ensured in any way. "They come and go with the Russians on the road, but they also come on foot through the forests. They do not enter the village, but they are sometimes seen in the surrounding areas," he mentioned.

Davtyan noted that two months ago, when Azerbaijanis had blocked the road to the village, he had appealed to all authorities. "At that time, everyone was in touch with me, but now no one answers my calls, and no one accepts me; it seems they have gotten used to all this. And this village has been left to fate, they are indifferent. I do not know what the end will be. I believe this village is not for us," said the community leader.