“There Is No School. We Are Dead, Not Buried”: Kiran Village Mayor on the Current Situation

“Dead but not buried.” This is how Kamo Shahinyan, the mayor of Kiran, describes the situation of the villagers. In an interview with NEWS.am, he confirmed reports that pillars have been installed in the center of the village, next to which border guards are stationed. Essentially, the border demarcation work has been completed.

“Two houses, three wagon-shed shops, and one car repair point remain under Azerbaijani control. However, serious issues arise for the residents of other homes as six houses are adjacent to the border. It is no longer possible to live there. I can’t say whether the residents of those six houses will agree to live that way, but it is possible that more residents will refuse to live in their homes close to the border. The school is also very close to that area. Discussions about the school are still ongoing. There are no updates. Construction has not even finished, but it is certain that no child will attend classes there. That means that school no longer exists,” Shahinyan noted. The village has a total of 85 houses.

Kamo Shahinyan is unsure whether entry and exit from the village is permitted. He mentioned that he has not left the village. “I am gathered with my villagers, thinking of how we can get out of this big hole we are in. I would say we are in a very deep hole. I don’t know if someone will pull us out or if soil will be filled in and we’ll just disappear,” Shahinyan continued.

He pointed out that so far, they have not seen anyone who might help them out of this hole. “Kiran has heroically lived on the border for 35 years. Today, the situation is the same. Back in the 1990s, they used to say, ‘Let there be another Kiran.’ But we are the people, we are the descendants of those people, and we will continue to live and survive. We will not open the gates of our Armenia against Azerbaijan. We will keep that gate, even in this depressed state. The lands taken by blood have been returned. Additionally, the privately owned lands, the plots received by 54 land certificate holders. Plus, the bridge, plus so many houses and whatever else. When they write that we’ve become zombies and want to fight, let them come see what the situation is. Excuse me, I am feeling bad; I cannot speak,” Shahinyan stated.

Earlier, it was reported that the border demarcation works in the Kiran area are nearing completion. The Armenian border forces are taking control of the demarcated section. To carry out this process, access to Kiran has been temporarily closed. Three pillars were installed overnight, with armed and masked border guards nearby. It is currently unclear whether these are border markers or guiding posts.

The National Security Service reported yesterday that preparatory work is underway for the border protection in the Kiran village area of Tavush. However, the NSS did not elaborate on what preparatory works are being conducted. On May 15, the Prime Minister's office announced that border guards from both countries would stand on the agreed border in the next 8-9 days, and in the more sensitive area of Kiran, it would happen later as there are details needing additional clarification. In the Kiran section of the interstate road to Georgia, the bridge is passing to the Azerbaijani side. The government has announced that a new bypass road should be constructed, and a timeframe of 2-3 months has been declared.