Azerbaijani Side Deliberately Excludes Russian Peacekeepers from Videos, Says Artsakh Human Rights Defender

For the fifth day, a limited number of people have been transported from Stepanakert to Armenia and back from Armenia to Artsakh under the escort of Russian peacekeepers. Gegham Stepanyan, the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, stated this during an interview on Alpha News on June 6, adding that around 100 people have been transferred to Armenia and about 110 have returned to Artsakh.

The Human Rights Defender clarified that throughout this process, including at the crossing point of the Hakari Bridge, citizens have been escorted by Russian peacekeepers, despite the absence of peacekeepers in Azerbaijani videos. “I believe that the Azerbaijani side is deliberately ensuring that Russian peacekeepers do not appear in the videos; this serves a propagandistic purpose, showing that, look, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are crossing through the Hakari checkpoint without a third party,” he stated.

According to one citizen, the Azerbaijani border guard attempted to convince them that vehicles can come without Russian peacekeepers, implying that they can freely move in their own vehicles. It is evident that the Azerbaijani aim is to exclude the Russian side's participation or that of the Red Cross in this process, enabling them to show the outside world that there are no issues and that the so-called integration is underway,” Stepanyan remarked, adding that by disseminating these videos, the Azerbaijani side aims to demonstrate to the international community that the checkpoint is functioning normally and that people’s free movement is ensured through the corridor.

“Furthermore, the filming is conducted without the consent of the individuals, violating their rights,” Gegham Stepanyan noted. The Artsakh official also recalled that after establishing a checkpoint near the Hakari Bridge, the Azerbaijani side obstructed the transfer of Artsakh patients to Armenia by the Red Cross. Following lengthy negotiations, according to Stepanyan, patients have been transferred to Armenia several times under the mediation and escort of the Red Cross.

“Azerbaijan was deliberately impeding the transportation of patients; this was done so that citizens of Artsakh would begin to use this so-called 'checkpoint.' I am confident that not only the patients but also the representatives of the Red Cross, who should have unrestricted access to Artsakh, are also undergoing passport checks today. It is concerning that the passport data of individuals who are targeted by Azerbaijan and declared enemies are being made available to Azerbaijan, which deepens security threats to the people of Artsakh,” Stepanyan stated.

It has been noted that, for example, there are members in the military-political leadership of Artsakh who are involved in Azerbaijani criminal cases; according to the Human Rights Defender, these individuals cannot use that checkpoint, as Azerbaijan would not miss the opportunity to abduct them.

Gegham Stepanyan believes that under no circumstances should it be allowed for Armenian citizens to be transferred to or from any settlement without a third party’s presence, as this would give the Azerbaijani side grounds to assert that free movement has been restored. “As long as people are crossing that route under escort from a third party, there are both psychological and physical threats present. In this situation, it is illogical to speak of the corridor being open or the lifting of the blockade,” the Artsakh Human Rights Defender emphasized.

It should be reminded that recently videos were circulated online showing how citizens cross the Azerbaijani checkpoint.