Residents of Tegh Community Struggle to Pay Loans and Have Lost Land, Ombudsman Reports

The Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan visited the Tegh community in the Syunik region, which has become a border area after the war. He shared this on his Facebook page.

During the meeting in Tegh village, local residents from nearby communities such as Aravus, Khuznavar, Khndzoresk, and others were present. There were also residents who had been displaced from various settlements in Artsakh, including Berdzor and Kashatagh, after the war.

People raised questions about compensation for damages caused by the illegal actions of Azerbaijani military personnel. The main issue mentioned was that they had been deprived of their legally owned or leased lands, which they had taken loans from banks or credit organizations to cultivate. Due to the illegal presence of Azerbaijani soldiers in their area, they have been unable to harvest crops from their cultivated lands.

Additionally, agricultural machinery belonging to the residents remains in territories under Azerbaijani control. Residents have also taken loans for livestock farming, purchasing both large and small cattle, and constructing buildings and animal shelters. However, during the military operations, many animals were either destroyed due to attacks from Azerbaijani armed forces or were stolen by those military personnel.

After the cessation of armed attacks, some of their livestock remained in Azerbaijani-controlled areas, and Azerbaijani forces categorically refuse to return them (for instance, in one case, they did not return 120 small cattle, while another case involved 18 large cattle, and so on).

Many residents noted that they are forced to sell at prices several times lower than the market rate as they cannot gather sufficient animal feed, especially hay, for their livestock. The issue is compounded by the presence of Azerbaijani forces in pasturelands that are currently illegally occupied.

In the created situation, people have no income to pay off loans and interest rates, yet banks and credit organizations do not consider their circumstances and continue to demand payment for loans and interest.

During the meeting, residents emphasized the need for support and special programs or benefits designed for residents of border villages to prevent the existing social difficulties, which have already led to new security challenges, from escalating further.

Arman Tatoyan, along with his team, engaged in detailed discussions with the women employed at the local sewing workshop. They discussed programs and initiatives to support their entrepreneurial activities. Also participating in these discussions was Tsvetana Harutyunyan, the director of the UN Population Fund office in Armenia, who presented the possible support options to the residents.

Representatives from the Ombudsman's office thoroughly documented the issues of both the entire community and individual residents, providing consultations. The Ombudsman will take necessary steps within his jurisdiction to address the raised issues in collaboration with relevant authorities and partners.