The Solution is Clear: A Demilitarized Security Zone Must Be Established, Says Ombudsman

In the village of Shikahogh in the Syunik Province's Kapan community, residents are facing numerous personal challenges, ranging from education to agriculture, due to the so-called border and customs controls imposed by Azerbaijan without legal basis on the Jakatun-Kapan road. This was reported by Armenia's Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, on his Facebook page.

"The same applies to Jakatun. Today, we visited these settlements with the Kapan community leader Gevorg Parsyan. First, both villages are facing problems in selling agricultural products. Specifically, different buyers used to come to Shikahogh for walnut products. Since the Kapan-Jakatun road was closed, they can no longer come via the difficult alternative route," he stated.

"Individual educational rights issues have also emerged, in addition to the disruption of schools' normal operations. For instance, two children from a resident of Shikahogh cannot reach Kapan daily, one for private tutoring and the other for college, due to the road issues. Organizing online education is still not possible. The difficult alternative route has also made it impossible to facilitate the children's normal mobility."

Another Shikahogh resident reported that his father, who is undergoing hemodialysis in Kapan, faces transportation issues due to the impassable new route, negatively impacting his health condition. The son was forced to rent an apartment in Kapan so his father could receive medical assistance on time.

"It is evident to me that under the pretext of unblocking the roads, Azerbaijani authorities are pursuing a targeted policy of isolating the civilian settlements of the Republic of Armenia and causing humanitarian issues. The so-called border and customs control declared by Azerbaijan on the Goris-Kapan road since November 11, 2021, has nothing to do with its stated goals," Tatoyan emphasized.

While local authorities and the Armenian Armed Forces and National Security Service border troops are making efforts to assist people on the ground, residents have also noted this. However, the issue here is entirely different. No matter how much local authorities provide support, it objectively does not resolve the issue of the mass violations of rights that have arisen due to the illegal actions of Azerbaijani authorities and their armed forces (e.g., safety, restoration of normal life, etc.).

Therefore, the solution is clear: there should not be Azerbaijani armed forces or other personnel along the roads adjacent to our communities. A demilitarized security zone must be established. This is the path to restoring the rights of residents of the Republic of Armenia.

No one has the right to ignore human rights and humanitarian issues in the process related to border determinations. The Ombudsman will present special reports on this matter to relevant international organizations, as well as to the Armenian authorities and NGOs.