People Standing at the Borders Who Beat and Tortured Our Fellow Citizens Months Ago: Ombudsman

There is a need to create a demilitarized security zone in Syuniq. This was the conviction expressed by Armenia's Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan at a press conference today.

The Ombudsman provided concrete examples and videos demonstrating the necessity of establishing a demilitarized security zone in Syuniq, stating that their work supports this claim. “There are obvious issues. For instance, in the videos we have, it is evident that there are shots fired at the villages in Syuniq. A professional study has been conducted and it was found that they are firing on the villages in Syuniq with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a Dragunov sniper rifle, a Kalashnikov machine gun, and an M93 rifle,” said Tatoyan, adding that in recent days shots were fired towards Shikahogh and Nerkin Hand.

He also announced that currently there are people standing at the borders who beat and tortured our compatriots months ago. For example, we have video evidence showing that an Azerbaijani commander has promised his friend the ears of an Armenian and is cutting off an Armenian's ears in a demonstrative act of mockery. In another video, a civilian person is being beaten while being told that he is not a human being.

Tatoyan highlights how human rights can be defended when, for instance, the school in Nerkin Hand, Gegharkunik, is only 500 meters away from Azerbaijani armed forces.

The press conference also addressed overt hatred against Armenians. Hatred in Azerbaijan has reached its peak, and anti-Armenian propaganda is being carried out directly by Aliyev.

“Hatred and organized propaganda against Armenians in Azerbaijan is at a high level, and it has institutional significance,” said Tatoyan.