11 Dead, 37 Injured: The Azerbaijani-Turkish Tandem Continues to Terrorize the Population of Artsakh, Says Artsakh Ombudsman

Since the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the Azerbaijani side has deliberately and systematically continued its criminal actions against the population of Artsakh, which has been repeatedly reported to international organizations and human rights defenders over the past year. This was stated by Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan.

“Although large-scale military operations have ceased according to the statement, the aggressive military actions by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem have transformed into planned and coordinated actions aimed at terrorizing the population of Artsakh and depopulating the region. The statistics presented by the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Artsakh confirm that over the past year, 56 crimes have been committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces located near civilian settlements of the Republic of Artsakh, resulting in 43 criminal cases being initiated.

As a result of Azerbaijani criminal actions, 2 civilians and 9 military personnel have been killed, while 24 civilians and 44 military personnel have been subjected to attempted murder, and 9 civilians and 28 military personnel have sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds. Additionally, 6 individuals have been subjected to physical violence, and 2 have received threats of murder.

Criminal infringements against property rights have resulted in property damage amounting to 17,710,000 AMD. Deliberate destruction or damage to property has targeted 5 residential houses, 3 agricultural machines, 7 vehicles, and 2 construction machines. Three orchards and crop fields have been set on fire, and a herd of large cattle has been targeted with firearms.

During the past year, periodic gunfire has been directed from Azerbaijani positions located near Armenian civilian settlements, with bullets falling on rooftops or public places, thus violating the psychological integrity of the peaceful population. A report detailing all incidents and their consequences will be prepared by the staff of the Artsakh Human Rights Defender for submission to international bodies,” he emphasized.