Using Alternative Roads, Our Village and Surrounding Areas Are Cut Off from Armenia: Berdavan Village Mayor

For several days now, the enemy has set up a police checkpoint on the Vorotani road in the Syunik region and is charging Iranian trucks a fee of 50,000 drams, with some reports suggesting it could be more. The enemy placed the checkpoint on the road that was closed from August 25 to 27, cutting off the village of Berdavan from access.

During a conversation with 168.am, Berdavan Village Mayor Onik Avagyan stated that the enemy has established a police post on the road, where an Azerbaijani convoy is also stationed. “The enemy is conducting checks at that point, collecting money, after which they only allow vehicles to pass. Yesterday I passed through that same road by car; they didn’t stop me, just gestured for us to pass quickly, but all Iranian trucks arriving after us are stopped without exception. Buses are also being halted and money is being demanded. All this once again reminds us that our security is increasingly being undermined. I think this is just the beginning; the enemy will resort to more adventurous actions in the future,” remarked the Berdavan village mayor.

Regarding the residents who need to travel that road daily, Onik Avagyan said they have many concerns. “Residents are traveling that road in fear and dread. Previously, they knew there was only a post stationed at a distance, but now they are very anxious because they are right on the road.” The Berdavan village mayor believes that if today the enemy is stopping Iranian vehicles, tomorrow they will also stop Armenians. In other words, the Azerbaijani side is signaling that soon Armenians could find themselves in the same position as Iranians.

“This is just the beginning; in the future, I think they will also collect fees from passenger vehicles. That alternative road they want to create for us is not a solution; I have always voiced that it should only be a road designated for wartime situations, to evacuate people or other purposes. We need our main road, not just an alternative one. By using alternative roads, our village and surrounding areas are being fundamentally cut off from Armenia,” concluded Onik Avagyan.

It should be noted that on May 12, the enemy violated the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, advancing several kilometers into the Syunik and Gegharkunik regions, and they still remain entrenched in those areas without retreating. Several negotiations have been held in Syunik to urge the enemy to pull back, but to no avail. Local village leaders and residents report that enemy soldiers have advanced with some maps and insist they have received orders from their superiors to advance, claiming those territories belong to Azerbaijan. It should also be recalled that after the 44-day war in Artsakh, when Nikol Pashinyan signed the document surrendering 75 percent of Artsakh, which did not include any clauses regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani borders, along with the silent agreement of Pashinyan and the Minister of Defense, all advantageous positions in the Syunik and Gegharkunik regions were also handed over to the enemy, resulting in several villages being placed in the enemy's crosshairs.