Azerbaijani Soldiers Stole Over 80 Livestock from the Shepherd of Kut Village on June 5: Human Rights Defender

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, has reported that Azerbaijani soldiers stationed near the border villages of Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces are engaged in the theft of livestock from Armenian citizens. For instance, on June 5, 2021, they stole over 80 livestock belonging to the shepherd of Kut village and have not returned them to date. According to the data clarified by the Defender's office, these animals belonged to five families from Kut village.

Specifically, this incident refers to the events on June 5, when Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire for 30 minutes towards the shepherd from the village of Kut, located in the Geghamasar community of the Gegharkunik province. The shepherd managed to escape on horseback, but his horse was injured in the attack. Moreover, during this time, Azerbaijani soldiers shot and killed four of the shepherd's livestock in the hail of gunfire.

Additionally, there was an attempt by Azerbaijani soldiers to steal around 20 horses in the grazing area of Verin Shorja village, Vardenis community, Gegharkunik province on June 6, 2021, as well as incidents of livestock theft or failure to return animals in the villages of Aravus on May 23 and Khndzoresk on May 29 in Syunik province.

It is evident that the theft of animals belonging to the residents along the Armenian border by Azerbaijani soldiers causes social, including vital damage, to the border population of Armenia. In these villages, livestock farming is the primary or sole means for people to sustain themselves and earn an income for their families.

It should also be noted that there have been threats against Armenian civilians and shepherds from the Azerbaijani military, including the display of weapons, pulling, hitting, and insulting the shepherds, etc. All these incidents have been confirmed through the evidence collected by the Human Rights Defender.

All of this occurs under the conditions that, starting from May 12, they have illegally invaded the sovereign territory of Armenia, citing false maps. These actions should be viewed as part of a unified intention, considering that they carry out the same acts against shepherds in both Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces.

The protection of the rights of the Armenian population demands an urgent need for a security zone against the criminal acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces. Today’s incident further demonstrates who is genuinely threatening the safety of people in the region and the prospects for restoring peace.