Former Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan: Defense Ministry's Clarification on Nerkin Hand Will Be Used Against Armenia's Interests

The former Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, has once again addressed the situation surrounding the village of Nerkin Hand and the responses from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a Facebook post.

"It was extremely concerning to hear how yesterday the MoD of Armenia detailed in an official video the criminal acts of Azerbaijani encroachment into Armenian territory under justifying terms. It was unbelievable to see the effort that the MoD put into justifying that the area of Nerkin Hand in Kapan is not under Azerbaijani observation and thus there are no security issues. The wording clearly indicates that this was done for political motives, aimed at preventing public discontent regarding political matters and hiding the fact of Azerbaijani encroachment into the territory of Nerkin Hand from our public, thereby justifying the failure to prevent this encroachment.

This statement from the MoD is strongly condemnable as it disregards the security of border residents in Armenia and their fundamental rights. Objective facts confirm that most of the pastures, arable lands, and gardens in this area have come under direct Azerbaijani targeting, as well as cemeteries and other civil locations. People are facing severe challenges in earning their family's income through agriculture and animal husbandry, with some completely deprived of the opportunity to use these areas.

How does one determine observation? According to the MoD's clarification and video, is it required for Azerbaijani soldiers to be stationed right next to every house in the village for it to be considered observed? There’s even a comparison study being conducted regarding the locations of old and new villages. Is this how security is determined? What approach is this? What other form of legitimization of Azerbaijani criminal acts and neglect of people's security could there be?

The MoD's statement yesterday regarding Nerkin Hand is one of those condemnable statements from Armenian state bodies that will be used against the interests of Armenia. No matter how much we assert internationally that Azerbaijani armed personnel must be removed from near our villages on the grounds of compromising people's security and making normal life impossible for them, the Azerbaijani side will use the MoD's video and previous clarifications against Armenia—arguing that 'their soldiers are simply located near Nerkin Hand and have posed no issues for people or security.' So what if they have penetrated Armenian territory?

Therefore, the MoD’s statement lacks legitimacy and cannot serve as a basis for ensuring the security of the Armenian population or for determining or protecting Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, especially in international forums.

In reality, if the MoD was to make a statement, it should have shown that Azerbaijani armed personnel committed criminal acts violating Armenia's territorial integrity and had encroached upon sovereign Armenian territory in Nerkin Hand. They should present what actions are being taken to expel that country's armed forces from Armenian territory or at least assert that there should be no Azerbaijani armed personnel near the peaceful residents of Armenia, rather than being driven by political motives, justifying their own actions, hiding Azerbaijani encroachments from the public, and presenting the actions of Azerbaijani military as 'innocent' deployments."