Three Artsakh Armenians were detained by officers of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) after taking photos with Artsakh in the background near the Hakari bridge, lawyer Roman Yeritsyan said in a Facebook video message.

According to him, the men were stopped on their way back, their movement was restricted, and their phones were confiscated, while they were not allowed to contact a lawyer.

The men had been working on construction projects in the communities of Tegh and Goris.

“After one or two hours, they were taken to a police station to be held administratively liable. They were ultimately given a warning, but their phones were effectively searched without a court order. When asked why they took the photos, they said they simply wanted to ease their longing, without any other intention. In response, a police lieutenant colonel told them that if they missed it, they could go and surrender and return home that way,” Yeritsyan said.