Ombudsman's Office Presents Incident of Azerbaijani Infiltration of Vehicle Transporting Armenian Children to International Organizations

Armenia's Ombudsman Kristinne Grigoryan has recently responded to the actions of Azerbaijanis towards children returning to Artsakh.

“On January 17, a vehicle transporting 19 children from Armenia to Artsakh through Russian peacekeepers was infiltrated by Azerbaijani fake activists, leading to incidents of psychological violence against the children. These details, reported by the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, have been documented by the Armenian Human Rights Defender's Office and are being submitted to international and regional organizations focused on children's rights, as well as UN monitoring bodies and special rapporteurs.

This incident has several peculiarities. The children, who are reuniting with their families, have endured psychological distress for more than a month, having been separated from their parents and relatives, deprived of their rights to live in conditions conducive to education and development. During this time, they have suffered the consequences of excessive public curiosity and experienced psychological trauma concerning the safety of their families residing in Artsakh.

Unfortunately, during the transportation process, it was not possible to provide sufficient guarantees for the children's psychological and physical integrity. The infiltration of the vehicle transporting the children by Azerbaijani fake activists—who have illicitly blocked the Lachin humanitarian corridor—and the subsequent terrorization of the children, which resulted in one child fainting, is a deliberate targeting of Armenian children based on ethnic hatred. This violates the fundamental international principles and norms that ensure the best interests of the child in conflict and crisis situations without discrimination.

The actions of the Azerbaijani authorities, managed by fake activists, fully align with Azerbaijan’s state policy of creating an environment of terror and immediate danger to physical integrity in Artsakh.