Tatoyan Speaks to Le Monde About the Unacceptability of Gunfire from Azerbaijan in Syunik

Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan gave an interview to the French newspaper Le Monde, discussing the unacceptability of gunfire from Azerbaijan in Syunik. The defender also presented his concept for establishing a demilitarized security zone in Syunik to the international media.

The journalist vividly described the gross violations of human rights in Syunik: "For the past two months, Stepan Movsisyan has had to be careful about where he steps. One misstep, and the 72-year-old villager could find himself in Azerbaijan. At least, that’s what the Azerbaijani soldiers claim." On December 27, 2020, they showed up in the village with their GPS devices and abruptly declared that half of the home located at the border, as well as 11 houses on one side of the road, belong to them.

Before the astonished eyes of the elderly man, soldiers installed a sign reading, "Shurnukh Village, Kubatli District, Republic of Azerbaijan." While the elderly man’s bedroom and living room remain on the Armenian side, he can no longer enter his barn. Nevertheless, his situation is not as dire as that of his neighbors, who have been forcibly evicted from their homes. The residents were shocked by the fact that Shurnukh is included in Armenia's Syunik Province and not the Kubatli (Sanasar) District, which has been transferred to Azerbaijan.

Currently, there is a tense situation in the village at the foot of the mountain. Stepan Movsisyan has had to adapt to his new neighbors. When he steps out onto the balcony, his gaze falls upon the row of flags and soldiers; the Azerbaijanis are stationed in a half-collapsed structure, while Russian peacekeepers are on the other side of the road, and now two Armenian border guards are on duty in his garden around the clock. "Sometimes it feels like they are watching me," the man says with a wry smile.