Azerbaijanis Invade Bus Transporting Children to Artsakh; One Child Fainted

Due to the blockade, 19 children deprived of parental care and family for more than a month have returned home via the Goris-Stepanakert road. Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan reported this on his Facebook page, mentioning another provocation by Azerbaijanis during this time.

“The children were transported from Goris to Stepanakert under the escort of Russian peacekeepers. In the Shushi-Karin Tak section, in the blocked area of the road, where 'eco-activist'-forming Azerbaijani government agents are stationed along with the journalists servicing them, the vehicle was halted by Azerbaijanis. Subsequently, 10-15 Azerbaijanis in civilian clothing, with their faces covered, approached the vehicle with cameras, and some of them invaded the vehicle and filmed the children inside,” Stepanyan wrote.

“Due to the provocative actions of the Azerbaijanis, a commotion broke out in the vehicle, resulting in one of the children fainting. Thanks to the actions taken by the Russian peacekeepers, they were removed from the vehicle, and it continued on its way. Afterwards, while passing through the blocked section of the road, the Azerbaijanis shouted provocatively at the vehicles transporting the children.”

This brazen behavior of the Azerbaijani government agents constitutes arbitrary and illegal interference in the children's personal lives, as well as a violation of their psychological immunity, honor, and dignity. These criminal actions fully expose their true intentions and desires. The ethnic hatred of Azerbaijanis towards Armenians knows no bounds, targeting even minor children. This provocative and criminal act once again proves the reality of the road being blocked and the impossibility of safe travel, even under the escort of Russian peacekeepers,” he stated.