‘Only police are patrolling, asking passersby where they are going’ – Kirants community leader

The border village of Kirants in the Tavush province remains isolated from the outside world, surrounded by police forces. While a similar situation in Artsakh was created by Azerbaijani troops, the situation in Tavush is even more dire. Access points to the community are blocked by officers of the National Police of the Republic of Armenia and military police.

In an interview with 24News, Kirants community leader Kamo Shahinyan reported that the village is sealed off on all sides: “Only police are patrolling, asking passersby where they are going. We are trapped and I don’t know what we have turned into. The people understand that they will do as they wish, and what is the purpose of these tortures?”

Shahinyan noted that the village is inaccessible to those not from Kirants: “Neither journalists can enter nor can we receive guests. In order to enter or exit, we are asked for ID, and only people known to them are allowed through.”

“People from Voskepar are calling me, asking if they can come to Kirants. I approach the police and ask, and they say no. This means that a person traveling from Voskepar, which is only 3 km away, must now cover 200 km, traveling to Alaverdi to get to us,” the Kirants leader explained.

The residents of Kirants have not been given any timelines as to when the village will be lifted from the blockade.

Additionally, the leader of the Tavush Diocese does not plan to leave his community to face problems alone. Although police forces continue to block the roads around the Kirants area, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan has returned to Kirants. He told “Factinfo” that he is on his way, having left Etchmiadzin in the evening, stating, “There’s nothing else, we are developing our future plans, and right now I am heading to Kirants, I am on the Ijevan road.” The Archbishop mentioned that he will attempt to approach the village’s blocked entrance and enter the village.