On July
13, 2020, Chinari village of the Armenian Tavush region was subjected to
targeted shelling by Azerbaijani armed forces.
The Human
Rights Defender received such alarming complaints from the residents and the
head of community օf Chinari. They reported that the Azerbaijani armed forces
fired about a dozen projectiles, residential buildings were damaged.
Residents
of the village of Chinari sent a photo apparently taken to the Human Rights
Defender's Office which testifies to the damage caused to one of the houses in
the village due to the shelling. In another case, the roof of a residential
house was damaged, and children were in the house at the time of the shelling.
Immediately
after receiving the alarming complaints addressed to the Human Rights Defender,
the Ministry of Defense made an official statement according to which the
Azerbaijani armed forces fired 7 times from 82 mm mortars in the direction of
Chinari village and 3 projectiles from a 120 mm caliber mortar.
The
alarming complaints addressed to the Human Rights Defender, the official
statements of the state authorities of Armenia and mass media publications
testify that the civilian peaceful settlement of Armenia was targeted. The
shelling causes a real danger for the civilian population, their health, life
and their property.
The Human
Rights Defender’s office continues to maintain direct contact with the
residents of villages of Tavush region and the heads of administrative
communities. Complete monitoring, independent collection of information and
facts is carried out.
The Human
Rights Defender strongly condemns the shelling of civilian settlements which
was carried out by targeting the civilian population, their health, life and
property.
This is
even more condemnable during the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. On
March 23, the Secretary-General of the United Nations called for an immediate
global ceasefire in all corners of the world due to the threat of coronavirus.
These
records will be summarized and sent to international organizations with a new
report. The Human rights defender’s additional statement will be published.
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