Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Issues Statement

The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh, Gegham Stepanyan, made a post on his Facebook page.

“It is painful to see that the national institution of the human rights defender of Azerbaijan, represented by Sabina Aliyeva, is occupied with justifying Azerbaijan's criminal actions against Artsakh instead of being committed to the real mission of protecting human rights and condemning mass violations. The recent days have shown how Sabina Aliyeva deliberately spreads disinformation, following the logic of the Azerbaijani government's propaganda machine, making unfounded statements about the supposed transportation of 'weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment, including mines, fuel, and troops' from Armenia to Artsakh without presenting substantiated evidence.

The Artsakh side has provided numerous solid proofs regarding the terrorism committed by 15 Azerbaijani soldiers against the police vehicle of the Republic of Artsakh. The vehicle was moving towards the designated changeover location, where, according to the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, representatives of the Azerbaijani armed forces should not have been present.

The 'transportation of ammunition' claim is yet another blatant lie prepared by the Azerbaijani government, utilized by its human rights commissioner as a tool to cover up the ongoing blockade and the recent act of terrorism by Azerbaijani diversionary groups. Such lies serve as a pretext for preparing the ground for further attacks in the future.

The activities of law enforcement agencies and military structures in Artsakh are entirely in line with international law and norms, as they are based on the internationally recognized right to self-defense. Moreover, Azerbaijan's multiple provocations, which have led to terrorist actions like the attacks by Azerbaijani diversionary groups, once again reaffirm the urgent necessity of preserving and further strengthening Artsakh’s security capabilities to withstand the existential threats from Azerbaijan and ensure the protection and security of the people.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the Republic of Artsakh and demand the dissolution of state structures such as the Police and the Artsakh Defense Army. It is utterly ridiculous that the side that systematically, deliberately, and consistently violated all provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, after the end of the 2020 war, urges the Armenian side to respect it.

By calling for a checkpoint to be established in the Lachin corridor, the Azerbaijani human rights commissioner openly encourages her country to ignore the international obligations it has undertaken and violate point 6 of the trilateral statement, which states: 'The Republic of Azerbaijan ensures the safe movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargoes through the Lachin corridor in both directions.'

In this context, the Azerbaijani human rights commissioner turns a blind eye to the violations of the trilateral statement that have occurred since the end of the 2020 war, which have led to military aggression and occupation of Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher, Karaglukh, and Parukh, the deliberate killing of 21 people, including 3 civilians, cases of the Azerbaijani armed forces taking Armenians hostage, and more than 100 attempts at murder.

Paradoxically, the voice of the Azerbaijani human rights institution was not heard when 55-year-old Aram Tephanants was shot dead by an Azerbaijani sniper in his own vineyard in Martakert on October 9, 2021, while he was performing seasonal agricultural work with his tractor.

Sabina Aliyeva's voice was also absent when on November 8, 2021, an Azerbaijani soldier attacked a group of civilians repairing a water supply in the territory of Shushi, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Martik Yeremyan from a shot to the head, and injuring three civilians.

Finally, Sabina Aliyeva publicly expressed no concern when 65-year-old Seyran Sargsyan was taken hostage and killed by Azerbaijani armed forces while performing agricultural work near the community of Chartar in Martuni Region on December 3, 2021.

As is customary for the Azerbaijani side, Sabina Aliyeva has said nothing about the illegal blockade of 120,000 Artsakhtsis, including 30,000 children, which has continued for three months and has been organized by the Azerbaijani government and carried out by so-called 'environmental activists', many of whom have been proven to be current or former representatives of Azerbaijani special services.

Despite calls from several reputable international intergovernmental and civil organizations, as well as state and non-state actors to unblock the life path of Artsakh, such as the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Freedom House, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide, the person calling herself the 'Commissioner for Human Rights' continues to shamelessly and blatantly deny the reality of the humanitarian crisis.

By naming Artsakh the 'Economic Region of Nagorno-Karabakh' and lacking the courage to call it by its true name, the Azerbaijani human rights commissioner ignores the very existence of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has even been recognized by the world’s highest judicial body, the International Court of Justice of the United Nations. This deliberate approach to denying the fundamental rights of the Artsakh Armenian people further proves that Azerbaijan’s so-called 'reintegration' of Artsakh will directly pave the way for the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the indigenous people of Artsakh.

With such absurd and politicized statements, Sabina Aliyeva discredits the institution of the human rights defender and its true purpose. Instead of being an impartial and fair institution, she uses her mandate to serve the interests of the Azerbaijani state propaganda machine, becoming yet another tool of Aliyev’s authoritarian regime.

Instead of wasting the resources of the human rights commissioner’s mandate on spreading false information about Artsakh, I urge Sabina Aliyeva to deeply familiarize herself with the dire situation of human rights in Azerbaijan and the widespread violations thereof, as well as deal with the proper implementation of numerous decisions and measures attributed to Azerbaijan by the ECHR and IAMD in this regard.

I also draw the attention of international organizations to the activities of the Azerbaijani human rights commissioner, which is far from protecting human rights and, on the contrary, is used to justify the violations of people’s fundamental rights,” wrote Gegham Stepanyan.