‘The 120,000 People of Artsakh Are in Complete Blockade’ - Ombudsman of Artsakh

The Ombudsman of Artsakh, Gegham Stepanyan, posted a statement on his Facebook page: ‘On December 3, 2022, after noon, the Azerbaijani side closed the Stepanakert-Goris highway near Shushi under the false pretext of environmental concerns. This is the only road connecting Artsakh to the outside world. Currently, the 120,000 people of Artsakh are in complete blockade, facing an impending humanitarian disaster, for which the Azerbaijani authorities are criminally responsible.

Since the establishment of the ceasefire, we have repeatedly witnessed deliberate targeting of infrastructure by Azerbaijan aimed at disrupting the normal life in Artsakh, actions that are components of the overall policy of ethnic cleansing against Artsakh. Moreover, even recently, the Azerbaijani side has been continually fabricating false information to legitimize the potential closure of the road.

We have raised alarms about the recurrence of such dangers through various possible channels and means. Due to the lack of proper and targeted preventive measures, the Azerbaijani side acts with impunity, which must come to an end. Therefore, I urge and demand that the key players in the international community take concrete and tough actions with punitive and preventive measures; otherwise, the recurrence of such incidents and a humanitarian disaster are inevitable,’ the Ombudsman of Artsakh stated.