The fires set by the
Azerbaijani servicemen in Gegharkunik province are not only burning the
pastures and grasslands, but also the grass that people have harvested and
stored for winter.
For example, today a
resident of Kut village alerted around 17:00 p.m. that he has a grassland of
4-5 hectares and has collected 500 stacks of grass. Around 17:00 p.m. the fire
was around 4-5 meters away from their grass stacks.
The alarming-calls were
also about the fact that after extinguishing the sources of the fire, the
Azerbaijani servicemen deliberately started new fires.
Today we received
alarming-calls at different times from Kut and Sotk villages of Gegharkunik
province about the fact that the fires which had been started by the
Azerbaijani servicemen on August 29 had spread and were moving in the direction
of the villages.
There are areas which are
impossible to go near to, since they are under the direct line of Azerbaijani
fire; They shoot when someone goes near those areas.
The Firefighters are
extinguishing the fires, and are being assisted by the residents. However, it
is not possible to use appropriate equipment in all the areas, since the fire
is spread in higher areas that are difficult for the equipment to reach.
Moreover, the weather conditions are contributing to the further spread of the
fire. The studies demonstrate that during the day it was only possible to
extinguish the fire that was in the direction of Sotk.
As a direct result of the
actions of the Azerbaijani servicemen, the pastures and grasslands of the
civilian population are being destroyed, and people are deprived of their
incomes, further contributing to the deepening of people’s social issues.
Taking into consideration
that the Azerbaijani armed servicemen have invaded and positioned themselves in
the immediate vicinity of the villages in the sovereign territory of the
Republic of Armenia, the fires pose a real threat to the civilian population of
the villages and their properties.
The studies of the
actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces by the Office of the Human Rights
Defender of Armenia prove that they are becoming more dangerous for the
civilian population, have a direct intention to harm them, and have become
targeted; There are gross violations of human rights.
Mr. Arman Tatoyan
The Human Rights Defender
of Armenia
Հայերեն
