Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan Issues Statement

The Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, has issued a statement: “The statements made by certain officials of the Republic of Armenia have become extremely dangerous, as they justify the Azerbaijani checkpoints on the Goris-Kapan and Kapan-Jermuk roads, neglecting the constitutional rights of the people, and claim that these are located in territories belonging to the Republic of Azerbaijan. There are constant references to alternative routes and some unspecified maps from the Soviet era. Do you realize that your statements are legitimizing the illegal presence of Azerbaijani armed and law enforcement agencies, from which they commit illegal acts and crimes against the citizens of Armenia?

How long can we talk about alternative routes? These so-called alternative routes do not eliminate the threats to the safety of the population of Armenia and the violations of constitutional rights; they cannot be comprehensive solutions. Do you understand that, in reality, under the guise of unblocking roads, the Azerbaijani authorities are implementing a targeted policy aimed at isolating Armenian settlements and creating humanitarian issues?

How do you envision the protection of the rights of Armenian citizens against these Azerbaijani actions? Whom should we appeal to, and what is the procedure? Do you know that after the war, the Azerbaijani authorities only intensified hatred towards Armenians and the propaganda of enmity?

Do you realize that near our villages, on the Goris-Kapan and Kapan-Jermuk roads, there are Azerbaijani services that have brutally tortured and killed our servicemen and civilians, and there has been no accountability for these actions?

No delimitation or demarcation has occurred between the two countries; on what grounds do you consider certain territories to be Azerbaijani or not? What legal act grants you the right to make statements that violate the constitutional and internationally recognized rights of the citizens of Armenia?

This statement is made publicly, considering that the dangerous emphases mentioned are gaining wide dissemination in the statements of various officials in Armenia, including high-ranking ones, and therefore, there is an urgent need to prevent them. Statements from various officials that contradict each other and violate or endanger human rights should be excluded, as they deepen uncertainty in society. In fact, the state's strategy should take into account the connection between border security issues and human rights, as well as the fact that the state has a positive obligation to protect the rights of its citizens.”