Five More Individuals Taken to Special Room Near Checkpoint for Questioning: Artsakh Ombudsman

Five more individuals traveling from Artsakh to Armenia have been detained by representatives of Azerbaijan's border services and taken to a special room near the checkpoint for questioning. This information was reported by Artsakh's Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan.

“On August 28, a new evacuation of civilians from Artsakh to Armenia was carried out under the escort of the Russian peacekeeping forces. According to preliminary information, a total of 170 individuals were evacuated with the escort of the peacekeeping forces. Around 1:00 PM, those traveling to Armenia arrived at the Azerbaijani illegal checkpoint located near the Hakari Bridge in the Lachin Corridor. According to information obtained by the Human Rights Defender’s office, a 2001-born individual, Alen Nelson Sarghisyan, was abducted and taken in an unknown direction by the representatives of Azerbaijan's border and other services using force and coercion. In addition, five more individuals traveling from Artsakh to Armenia have been taken to a special room near the checkpoint for questioning by Azerbaijan’s border service,” he wrote.

He added, “They were asked various questions during the interrogation, including their involvement in sports, the purpose of traveling to Armenia, and the economic situation in Armenia and Artsakh.” According to the information gathered, two individuals from the pre-approved lists, Vahe Hovsepyan and Levon Grigoryan, did not cross the illegal checkpoint, and it has not been possible to establish contact with them. All three citizens are students at educational institutions in the Republic of Armenia.

Gegham Stepanyan also emphasized, “We have repeatedly stated that the illegal checkpoint located near the Hakari Bridge is a direct and indisputable threat to the physical existence of Artsakh's civilian population and the protection of their fundamental rights. The abduction of Vagif Khachatryan and Alen Sarghisyan undeniably proves that this so-called checkpoint has become a tool for serving Azerbaijani criminal arbitrariness, through which civilians are arbitrarily abducted and deprived of their freedom by Azerbaijanis. A population of 120,000 is being kept under blockade, deprived of humanitarian access and the possibility of protection of basic human rights. Both the International Committee of the Red Cross and the international legal and political guarantees of the Russian peacekeepers are, in fact, insufficient for the protection of the rights of the population of Artsakh, including ensuring their free and safe movement.

“Considering the obligations assumed by these two actors, the Human Rights Defender demands that they take all possible measures to ensure the safe humanitarian movement of the population of Artsakh and the immediate return of the abducted individuals. In the absence of such guarantees, the transportation of civilians must be halted.”

The publication also notes that the Human Rights Defender’s Office continues to gather facts regarding the incident, for which a further statement will be provided, compiling the collected facts to be presented to international organizations concerned with human rights protection and other international actors.