Tatoyan Reveals Details on What Azerbaijanis Were Doing in Aghavnadzor

Azerbaijani authorities have been conducting a targeted policy aimed at terrorizing peaceful residents and creating an atmosphere of despair. The criminal acts of Azerbaijan are fundamentally the same against both Armenia and Artsakh, manifesting aggressively in Artsakh. This was stated by former Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, on his Facebook page.

“During my last visit to Aghavnadzor, we gathered evidence that Azerbaijani servicemen were slaughtering animals (including large cattle) and discarding unwanted organs or the remains of dead animals into the water used by the villagers. As a result, rats appeared in the water, and there were recorded cases of mass poisoning, including children and the elderly. All villagers mentioned this,” he wrote.

The homes of the people were under complete observation by Azerbaijanis. When locals attempted to approach their agricultural lands, even if only a few hundred meters away, the Azerbaijani armed forces fired shots. Residents were unable to earn income for their families. Azerbaijani authorities have been and are still conducting a targeted policy to terrorize peaceful residents and create an atmosphere of despair. The criminal acts of Azerbaijan are fundamentally the same against both Armenia and Artsakh, manifesting aggressively in Artsakh.

How else can genocide occur? And what has Armenia done to utilize these facts and activate international mechanisms over all this time? The authorities of Armenia have learned a safe internal political formulation for themselves, that “Azerbaijan is carrying out ethnic cleansing.” However, they do not base this on facts, do not relate it to genocidal policies and the right to self-determination, but use only this general formulation, especially in political contexts and mainly for their own internal political campaigning. But this approach creates not only significant problems for Azerbaijan but also strengthens their position.

The surrender of Berdzor and Aghavnadzor to Azerbaijan is another manifestation of the destructive policy of the Armenian authorities. This step seriously jeopardizes Armenia, particularly Syunik, especially against the backdrop of the fact that Armenian authorities, fearing political discontent against themselves and losing their positions (which is their nightmare, and their positions are more important than the security of the country), hide or justify Azerbaijani criminal acts. The already criminal presence of Azerbaijani servicemen near the villages and roads of Armenia has turned life into a struggle for people.

The Armenian authorities have not received such a mandate from the citizens of Armenia,” he wrote.