On
September 16, the Human Rights Defender Mr. Arman Tatoyan received a delegation
led by Baroness Caroline Cox, Member of the House of Lords of the Parliament of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The
Human Rights Defender of Armenia presented facts on the violations of the
rights of the border residents of Armenia by Azerbaijani authorities in the
post-war period.
Mr.
Arman Tatoyan noted that it is wrong to view the issues related to the state
border of Armenia only from the military-political point of view, as human
rights issues become secondary, and the opportunities to protect those rights
become limited.
The
Human Rights Defender of Armenia noted that due to the unlawful actions of
Azerbaijan, people were deprived of their houses, lands, grasslands, which
belonged to them even during the Soviet times, as a result of which not only
social but also serious security problems have arisen.
The
unlawful presence of the Azerbaijani military in the sovereign territory of the
Republic of Armenia, for example, in Sev Lake (Sev lich), has caused serious
security problems for the surrounding communities, as they become direct
targets of the Azerbaijani military who fire in those directions.
Moreover,
most people are not able to engage in raising livestock, which is their
families’ sole source of income, and in Gegharkunik province, people are not
able to keep small and large cattle in the barns near the pastures, to take the
animals out for water or graze them in certain areas. The availability of water
resources is endangered not only in Syunik province but also in Gegharkunik
province. Moreover, several villages are now deprived of water.
Mr.
Arman Tatoyan stressed that the demarcation with Azerbaijan without creating a
security zone, without removing the Azerbaijani armed forces, their signs and
cameras, will not only fail to ensure the rights of the citizens of Armenia and
especially the border residents, but will also cause further tensions and
violations of rights.
The Defender made a separate reference to his
recently published ad-hoc report on Azerbaijani responsibility for the
torturing of Armenian captives and treating them in an inhuman manner. Mr.
Arman Tatoyan noted that the ad-hoc report presents concrete evidence and facts
with high reliability on the torture and inhuman treatment of Armenian
captives.
The
document was sent to international organizations, as well as to state bodies of
Armenia and non-governmental organizations.
Հայերեն
