HRD: Azeri troops stop, threaten Armenian villagers

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani troops who have violated the Armenian border in the province of Gegharkunik have been stopping villagers, making them explain where they are going and what they are doing, threatening them and trying to search their cars, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said on Friday, June 4.

According to the Ombudsman's fact-finding mission, Azeri forces regularly drive down to the pastures, where the cattle barns are located and where residents graze their animals. They act cynically, threatening the villagers with weapons, and have generally made the use of pastures impossible for the locals.

The Azerbaijani soldiers also swear at shepherds, shout at them, block the villagers' access to drinking and irrigation water resources.

"No process related to the borders of the state can be acceptable if the life of border residents is being disrupted, and their rights are being grossly violated," Tatoyan said, stressing, again, the need to create a security zone to ensure the safety of the locals.

On the morning of May 12, the armed forces of Azerbaijan violated the border of Armenia in the southern province of Syunik, advancing 3.5 kilometers and surrounding Sev Lake, which is situated on the border between the two countries but is predominantly a part of Armenia. On May 13, the Azerbaijani military committed more border violations against Armenia, advancing near Vardenis (Gegharkunik province) and Sisian (Syunik province). One Armenian serviceman was killed in Azerbaijan’s shooting on May 25, while six others were captured on May 27.