Armenian Human Rights Defender Comments on Azerbaijani Gunfire in Red Market

Reliable evidence of the deliberate targeting of the peaceful civilian population of Artsakh by the Azerbaijani armed forces is extremely concerning and should be subject to proper investigation and assessment, stated the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Kristine Grigoryan.

“Recently, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination raised alarm about the dangerous levels of systemic anti-Armenianism in that country, and these incidents unfortunately serve to prove both the Committee's findings and the blatant public statements made by Azerbaijani high-ranking officials regarding the depopulation of Artsakh,” the Human Rights Defender emphasized.

It is worth reminding that on September 12, between 04:00 and 04:30 in the morning, the Azerbaijani side opened fire using various types and calibers of weapons from positions located in front of the communities of Red Market and Taghavard in the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh. The gunfire lasted for about 30 minutes. Two residential houses in Red Market and one house in Taghavard were damaged.