Azerbaijani Claims Regarding the Presence of Armenian Armed Forces in Artsakh Are False: Ombudsman

“On the night of June 27 to 28, 2023, as a result of another aggression by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the bodies of four servicemen who were killed were transferred to the Republic of Armenia at the request of their parents. The transfer of the bodies of Samvel Torosyan and Yervand Tadevosyan, as well as their burial at Yerablur, are being used by Azerbaijan’s propaganda machine to assert that there are representatives of the Armed Forces of Armenia in Artsakh,” stated Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan.

“With this assertion, Azerbaijan is blatantly preparing the informational ground for launching new attacks against Artsakh, which has already been discussed in the Azerbaijani media. This claim by Azerbaijan is false and has no connection to reality. To prove this, we are publishing the facts collected by the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh with the consent of the families of the fallen servicemen.”

Samvel Tigran Torosyan was born on December 16, 2003, in the city of Stepanakert, the Republic of Artsakh. [Image 1: Samvel Torosyan's Birth Certificate]. He attended Primary School No. 7 in Stepanakert. He continued his education at the Shushi Technological University in a vocational program with a qualification in urban cadastral studies. [Image 2: Samvel Torosyan's Diploma]. He was pursuing higher education at the Mesrop Mashtots University in Stepanakert in the faculties of Economics and Law, specializing in Information Systems. [Image 3: Samvel Torosyan's Student ID]. Samvel Torosyan was a citizen of the Republic of Artsakh, registered in Stepanakert. He was conscripted from the Stepanakert Military Commissariat. His family and relatives constantly reside in Stepanakert. [Image 4: Samvel Torosyan's Passport]

Yeravnd Hovhannes Tadevosyan was born on May 27, 2003, in the city of Berdzor, Kashatagh region, Republic of Artsakh. [Image 5: Yervand Tadevosyan's Birth Certificate]. He attended Secondary School No. 2 named after V. Zatikyan in Berdzor. He completed his basic education in 2018. [Image 6: Yervand Tadevosyan's Certificate of Basic Education]. Yeravnd Tadevosyan was also a citizen of the Republic of Artsakh, registered in Berdzor. He was conscripted from the Kashatagh Military Commissariat. [Image 7: Yervand Tadevosyan's Passport].

After the 2020 war, Yeravnd Tadevosyan's family found refuge in the Ararat province of the Republic of Armenia as displaced persons, while continuing to maintain their citizenship of the Republic of Artsakh.

To prevent any potential manipulations regarding the documents presented, we remind that all identity documents for citizens of the Republic of Artsakh are issued by the Republic of Armenia with a different registration address. This is a well-known approach due to the unrecognized status of Artsakh, allowing its residents to travel and exercise their rights in other countries. This approach is used for citizens of almost all unrecognized states in the world, accounting for the shortcomings in international law and relations concerning human rights protection.

The decision to bury Samvel Torosyan and Yeravnd Tadevosyan at the “Yerablur” Military Memorial Complex was made by their parents within their rights. It should be noted that this is not a new approach, and in previous years, many fallen citizens of the Republic of Artsakh have also been buried in Yerablur, reflecting the nationwide significance of that memorial.

As for the Azerbaijani false claims about the alleged presence of citizens (residents) of the Republic of Armenia serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Artsakh, the continued fact-finding efforts of the Human Rights Defender confirm that since 2021, only citizens and residents of the Republic of Artsakh have been serving in the Armed Forces. Thus, we draw the attention of responsible actors in the international community to the fact that the Azerbaijani side, encouraged by the impunity of the blockade and military aggressions, is searching for new pretexts for committing further criminal acts against the people of Artsakh.