120 Sheep Stolen by Azerbaijani Soldiers, Yet Loan Company Demands Repayment: Ombudsman

The Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan writes on his Facebook page: "120 sheep purchased on credit by Nazik Baghdasaryan, a resident of the Tegh community in Syunik Province, were never returned by Azerbaijani soldiers after the war, yet the lending organization continues to demand repayments. Despite the fact that the stolen property is no longer available, Mrs. Baghdasaryan continues to pay the loan amount under the same conditions, with three years left for full repayment.

The woman is currently facing difficulties in obtaining an interest-free loan because her son delayed a payment by one month during the period he was at the border during the war.

During my visit to the Tegh community, Mrs. Baghdasaryan informed me that she had applied for compensation to the Syunik Province Governor's Office and received only 100,000 AMD for the 120 sheep. However, these issues require systemic solutions. Many individuals have been caught up in such situations due to the criminal actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces. People have lost their property rights, the opportunity to earn income, and faced serious social problems.

We have recorded the issues raised during this visit. Our state must initiate processes in international forums that will leverage these facts to compel the Azerbaijani authorities to compensate individuals who are faced with such problems. We are, of course, ready to address the Government with formal letters to understand their position regarding immediate solutions for these individuals' issues before initiating such processes in international platforms. We are prepared to cooperate on any matters."