Your trusted source

The shots fired by Azerbaijani forces near the village of Verin Shorzha in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province on 5 July prove that their very presence in the vicinity of Armenia’s border villages and on the roads is a violation of the right to life of the Armenian people, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said on Facebook late on Tuesday.

The ombudsman’s staff revealed that the fire was opened by the Azerbaijani servicemen stationed in the sovereign territory of Armenia.

The human rights defender underlines that those areas are the pastures of the Vardenis border community, where the local families also live in spring, summer and autumn and are engaged in cattle breeding and agricultural activity.

Due to the Azerbaijani shootings, the civilians are either unable to use those areas at all or have limited access to them. Moreover, the residents of the communities legally own those lands.

According to the clarified information, the Azeri shootings took place on July 5, at around 5 pm, targeting the Armenian military and lasting for nearly 30 minutes.

The staff of the human rights defender found out that the shots were clearly heard in Verin Shorzha.

“These regular shootings of Azerbaijani servicemen near the villages of Gegharkunik Province pose a real threat to the life and health of the civilian population of Armenia.

“Azerbaijani troops regularly commit similar acts (shootings, theft of animals, etc.) in the vicinity of both Gegharkunik and Syunik villages and against the local residents.

“The July 5 incident goes to prove once again that the presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces near the Gegharkunik and Syunik villages or on the roads between the communities of Syunik Province is primarily a violation of the right to life of the Armenian population.

“Such actions are also aimed at depriving the residents of the Republic of Armenia of property and other vital rights, the opportunity to be engaged in cattle breeding and earn a family income. It’s about internationally recognized rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Armenia.

“These actions not only pose apparent security threats to the residents of Armenia’s border villages, but also contribute to the aggravation of their social problems.

“The Azeri shootings were also confirmed by the Defense Ministry of Armenia in an official statement today, noting that as a result of the shootout provoked by the Azerbaijani side, an Armenian serviceman was slightly injured. There were also media reports on the incident,” Tatoyan said.