Human Rights Defender of Armenia: I strongly condemn the ongoing criminal policy of the Azerbaijani state

It has been for over a week, the Azerbaijani side is not allowing the representatives of Artsakh to restore the alleged “disruption” of the gas pipeline. Hence, as a result, more than 100.000 people have been deprived of heating in cold weather conditions. In parallel, the electricity is being regularly cut.

This further worsens the difficult humanitarian conditions which has been emerged during and after the war.

As a result, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, temporary shelters for displaced persons are deprived of their basic living conditions; it is impossible to exercise the right to health care of people, and the right of children to education.

Moreover, it has been a week since the Azerbaijani military forces have been shooting intensively in the direction of the peaceful villages of Artsakh; Khramort village and Askeran city of Askeran region, and Karmir Shuka and Khnushinak villages of Martuni region. In Khramort village, a peaceful civilian was injured.

All these are aimed at maintaining an atmosphere of fear and terror among the people living in Artsakh, with ultimate aim of making Armenians to leave and annihilate Artsakh from its indigenous Armenian population.

I strongly condemn the ongoing criminal policy of the Azerbaijani state. I call on international organizations to clearly respond to the situation and to increase the pressure on Azerbaijan to stop this criminal behavior.

Human Rights are universal, and they should be viewed outside the geopolitical framework.

This statement has been sent to international organizations and diplomatic missions.