‘They spoke of Syunik being safe. This was a basis for the Azerbaijanis’ – Tatoyan

During a press conference, former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan stated that when Azerbaijani military personnel appeared on our roads and restricted free movement, instead of taking steps to remove them, officials denied the isolation and humanitarian issues facing our villages. “Do you remember the campaign that started? The Azerbaijanis are in their positions, there are no problems, they can do whatever they want, it’s their territory, they spoke about Syunik being safe, and that they haven't created any problems for us, there are Azerbaijani territories under the control of the Republic of Armenia, and so on. All these remarks provided a basis for the Azerbaijanis and strengthened their positions, and now look how strong they are in this regard because we have said, 'you are in your positions,' even entering people’s homes with cameras, as in Vorotan,” said the former Human Rights Defender.

Addressing the question of why the authorities in Armenia adopted such a stance, Tatoyan responded, “In my deep conviction, and this is also evidenced by facts, there was political fear; officials had specific political fears that there would be discontent among the people toward them. There were purely political and personal fears here, the country’s security was rated lower than political and personal interests.”

Tatoyan also referred to the alternative route from Kapan to Jakanat. “I have passed through those roads tree by tree, bush by bush, you can’t understand what the ensuring adventure is. Just a few hundred meters away, the Azerbaijanis are visible to the naked eye, and an alternative road is being constructed by blocking that road. For that reason, during the last war, that road was impossible to use; it's clear why the Azerbaijanis chose to stop exactly in that section – they didn't come to admire Armenia's picturesque places; it had a specific purpose,” Tatoyan concluded.