Azerbaijani Soldiers Attempt to Steal 20 Horses from Vorin Shorja Village Pasture, Ombudsman Reports

The staff of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia has conducted fact-finding activities revealing that Azerbaijani military personnel attempted to steal around 20 horses from the herder's pasture in the Vorin Shorja village of the Vardenis municipality, Gegharkunik region at approximately 1:30 PM today, June 6, 2021. This was reported by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan.

Specifically, the 20 horses were grazing and had approached the Azerbaijani positions that are illegally located in the sovereign territory of Armenia. Azerbaijani armed personnel, taking advantage of the opportunity, descended into the pasture area and attempted to steal all of the horses. The attempt was thwarted by the fire opened by the Armed Forces of Armenia.

The incident took place in the Vorin Shorja pasture, where seasonal residents live during spring, summer, and autumn months, grazing their livestock (these areas are commonly referred to as pastures). Ongoing fact-finding activities by the Human Rights Defender continually confirm that Azerbaijani armed personnel exhibit manifest criminal acts against the residents living along the Armenian border. They are, in fact, deliberately firing upon the civilian population of Armenia, aiming to deprive them of their lives and other essential rights, including the opportunity to engage in livestock farming and earn an income for their families.

These criminal acts against citizens in Gegharkunik began after May 12, when Azerbaijani forces illegally invaded sovereign territory of Armenia citing false maps. Such criminal actions by Azerbaijani armed forces should be viewed in a unified context, considering that similar acts are also being committed against herders in bordering villages of the Syunik region and other villages in the Gegharkunik region.

Continuous fact-finding efforts clearly demonstrate that these acts by Azerbaijani armed forces, which grossly violate the rights of residents along the Armenian border, are connected to a state-sponsored policy of hostility and hatred by the Azerbaijani authorities. The protection of the rights of the Armenian population urgently demands the presence of a security zone to counter the criminal acts of Azerbaijani armed forces. Today's incident also clearly indicates who is actually disrupting the safety of people in the region and the prospects for restoring peace.