The RA Human Rights Defender received alarming calls today that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces yesterday, on July 23 2021, started shootings near the Verin Shorzha village community called mountain range in the RA Gegharkunik province.
In particular, on July 23, from about 20:00 to 00:30, the Azerbaijani armed forces fired intensively towards the positions of the Armenian armed forces from different caliber weapons, as well as they fired in the direction of the community called mountain range. These mountain ranges are places where dozens of civilians live in the spring, summer and autumn seasons, grazing their cattle in pastures.
According to residents, the Azerbaijani armed forces posed a serious threat to their lives and physical safety, disrupting the peace of the entire community. They had to shelter all night.
It was only because of the shootings that civilians could found one of their cows dead by Azerbaijani shootings next morning, on July 24, at around 07:00 (the dead animal of the civilian is in the picture attached).
In addition to the above, alarms were received that the Azerbaijani armed forces also fired today, on July 24, from 11:30 to 12:00 in the morning.
The houses of the mountain range of Verin Shorzha village have become direct targets of the Azerbaijani armed forces since May 12 2021 when they illegally invaded the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. Moreover, they are located about 150 meters from civilian houses.
The actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces are criminal. This is justified against the background of the recent shootings by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the immediate vicinity of Kut, Sotk, Azat and Verin Shorzha villages of the RA Gegharkunik province.
The facts clearly prove that in the last days on the RA border, particularly in Gegharkunik, Syunik, in all those parts of Ararat (e.g. Yeraskh village) provinces, where Azerbaijani armed servicemen are present near civilian communities, their behavior is the same: shootings, animal thefts, obstacles to hay and harvesting, threats, etc.
In other words, the shootings of July 23-24 2021 prove once again that itself presence of Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the vicinity of the RA civil communities, on the roads between the Syunik communities, is a violation of the right to life of the RA population.
Their actions violate the right to property; free movement; right to animal husbandry; right to earn family income, and other vital rights of Armenia’s residents. They destroy the peace and normal life of civilians.
Moreover, the fact of the July 23 shootings in Gegharkunik province was officially confirmed by the RA Ministry of Defense.
Arman Tatoyan
the Human Rights Defender of Armenia
