Azerbaijani Armed Forces Seize 107 Sheep and 5 Goats Belonging to a Kornidzor Resident, Human Rights Defender Reports

The Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, reported that today the office received an alert regarding an incident on October 22, 2021, around noon, where Azerbaijani armed forces personnel seized 107 sheep and 5 goats belonging to a resident of the Kornidzor village, near a cemetery in the Syunik province of Armenia.

A local resident grazing his animals nearby noticed that two Azerbaijani military personnel had descended from their positions and were approaching his livestock. As they drew near, they drove the animals towards their own positions. These circumstances, along with reports confirming the number of animals taken, have been verified through several sources.

The resident of Kornidzor alerted local authorities at approximately 12:15 PM regarding the incident. According to the Human Rights Defender's office, immediately after the incident, representatives of the border services of Armenia and Russia arrived on the scene and conducted investigations, currently taking appropriate actions.

The Human Rights Defender's office has analyzed the circumstances of the alert, confirming that the theft of property belonging to an Armenian citizen occurred within the territory of Armenia. These details have been incorporated into an accompanying map released with this statement.

This notification regarding the crime committed by Azerbaijani servicemen against the Armenian citizen should form the basis of our state's demands towards Azerbaijan on international platforms. It will also be included in the reports and demands from the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

Compensation for the substantial damages inflicted upon citizens will serve as an important guarantee for the protection of the rights of border residents in Armenia. The criminal actions of Azerbaijani servicemen violate the rights to life, property, and other vital rights for Armenian civilians, depriving people of their ability to engage in livestock farming and earn household income, thereby exacerbating social issues alongside security concerns.

It is evident that the root of all these criminal offenses and gross human rights violations stems from one source: the hostile and antagonistic policies of the Azerbaijani authorities, rooted in hatred, ethnic cleansing, and genocidal agendas. Therefore, an urgent process must begin to establish a demilitarized security zone around the borders of Armenia with Azerbaijan and to immediately remove Azerbaijani servicemen from the vicinity of Armenian villages and inter-community roads.

This proposal from the Armenian Human Rights Defender has already been included in an international document — the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Resolution 2391 (2021) dated September 27, 2021.

The Human Rights Defender will also send relevant reports to international organizations, state bodies of Armenia, and civil society organizations.