Azerbaijani Cameras Illegally Monitor Residents' Homes in Vorotan: Armenia's Human Rights Defender

Arman Tatoyan, Armenia's Human Rights Defender, made a post on his Facebook page stating: “This private house in the village of Vorotan, Goris community of Syunik Province, is under constant surveillance by Azerbaijani cameras. In addition to this house, three others and a fish farm are also under direct monitoring by Azerbaijani cameras. This violates residents' rights to live safely and peacefully, their right to life, and their right to personal and family life, as personal data is gathered without any legal basis.

According to the house residents, Azerbaijani armed servicemen regularly pivot the cameras towards their home to monitor the comings and goings. The cameras are particularly directed at their home when they see an unusual amount of movement, for example, when they have guests. It is evident that everything happening inside the house is being observed, not just in the yard.

During my recent visit to Syunik, I confirmed this on the spot when my team and I were near this house, and we saw that once the Azerbaijani armed servicemen noticed us, one of the cameras was immediately aimed in our direction.

By the way, the house where Azerbaijani armed servicemen are stationed and monitor the movements of the household is officially owned by an Armenian citizen (we have already published this evidence). This means that Azerbaijani forces have unlawfully seized a property belonging to an Armenian citizen through criminal actions.

Moreover, this is the section of the Goris-Kapan road where Azerbaijani armed servicemen have, as declared, established so-called border and customs control, which lacks any legal foundation. Azerbaijani armed, including border police, officers are always present directly in front of the house. According to citizens' estimates, there are approximately 150-200 officers altogether. Most of these officers are armed and largely masked. They openly stand on the road or in the direction of civilian homes to be particularly visible to the residents.

We have made a statement regarding the presence of at least 10 cameras monitoring the movements of the civilian population along this section of the Goris-Kapan road, violating people's personal and family life, and unlawfully collecting personal data.

These actions by the Azerbaijani armed servicemen further prove that their presence has disrupted the normal life of Armenia's civilian population, resulting in mass violations of people's rights and impairing their right to live safely and peacefully. Therefore, they should not be near our villages and roads so that the rights and normal life of peaceful residents can be restored.

This fact has also been analyzed by the Office of the Human Rights Defender and will be included among the evidence confirming the illegal actions of Azerbaijani armed servicemen, with the aim of submitting to relevant international courts.”