Ex-ombudsman: Azerbaijan's actions against Artsakh part of deliberate policy

Azerbaijan’s criminal actions against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) are part of a deliberate policy, Armenia’s former Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan stated.

“What the Azerbaijani authorities are doing to Artsakh is part of a deliberate policy:

1. Since March 8, they have deliberately damaged the gas pipeline, hindering its repair.

2. More than 100,000 civilians, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, children and the elderly have been deliberately deprived of gas, heating and hot water [while it is -5C outside], leading to humanitarian disaster and mass human rights violations.

3. They are firing at Khramort, Karmir Shuka and other villages, targeting people and their houses, schools; they are using both small and large caliber weapons and are opening targeted fire.

4. Heavy military equipment, including tanks, have been deployed near Artsakh villages. They do it demonstratively.

5. From their military positions, they are terrorizing the peaceful population in the Armenian language via loudspeakers to make them leave their native villages.

6. All these are not separate actions, but are integral parts of a common policy, a single chain; a policy of hatred and enmity towards Armenians based on ethnic and religious grounds,” Tatoyan wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

“How else can there be a genocidal policy and ethnic cleansing? All this is typical internationally punishable criminal conduct,” the ex-ombudsman said, adding his reports have been sent to international organizations.