Daily organized aggression of Azerbaijani troops against peaceful Artsakh residents

More than two years have passed since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war but Azerbaijan is still doing everything to disrupt the peaceful life in Artsakh(Nagorno-Karabakh) and sow a sense of fear among the inhabitants.

Below are presented some examples of the humanitarian, war crimes and aggressive behavior by Azerbaijanis against Armenians in January of 2022.

Poisoning of drinking water by Azeri soldiers

Part of a joint statement by the Ombudsman of Armenia and Artsakh on the results of the collection of evidence from February 14 to 16 in Artsakh, which refers to the poisoning of drinking water : In Aghavno community, people are facing serious problems of drinking and irrigation water supply: Nearly all residents told us how they witnessed Azerbaijani armed servicemen slaughtering cattle and then throwing the remains into the water used by residents of the village. This has caused mass poisoning from the water among the residents of the village: women and children and elderly people were poisoned...

Timeline

February 5, 2022

Armenian factory workers come under Azeri machine-gun fire near Askeran, Artsakh

On February 5 of 2022, at around 12:00 three Armenian factory workers came under Azeri gunfire in the village of Khramort in Askeran, Artsakh.

Azerbaijani servicemen deployed in a military position known as “Oghten Mashk” near the town of Askeran opened fire from large-caliber machine guns at the three employees of the Future Generations Foundation LLC who were repairing a tractor at a stone processing site.

Before police forces arrived, the three workers were forced to take cover for two hours. The workers were calling their administration and notifying about the incident during the shooting.

The prosecution of Artsakh said the law enforcement agencies have initiated criminal-judicial proceedings.

The authorities did not report injuries in the incident.

The Investigative Committee of Artsakh launched proceedings over the criminal case on the February 5 Azerbaijani shooting at three Armenian workers at a stone processing plant.

The Artsakh authorities said in a statement that the shooting was attempted murder and the Azerbaijani servicemen’s motive was “ethnic, racial or religious hatred or religious fanaticism.”

All three workers of the stone processing plant escaped unharmed from the shooting.

The investigation is ongoing.


February 11, 2022

Azerbaijani forces open fire at residential houses in Artsakh’s Karmir Shuka and Taghavard communities

On February 11 of 2022, at around 05:50, shots were fired from the Azerbaijani military positions located near Karmir Shuka and Taghavard communities of Artsakh’s Martuni region in the direction of residential houses, Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan said in a statement on social media.

“Given the distance between the settlements and the Azerbaijani positions, and the fact that the residential part of the village is directly observed from the Azerbaijani positions, it is undeniable that the Azerbaijani side has directly targeted the houses of the residents as a result of which residential houses, mainly walls, roofs, have been damaged.

The window of a house of Karmir Shuka resident was smashed during the same operations which are aimed at threatening civilians, and the bullet penetrated into the living room of the house”, he said.

“I reaffirm the claim that the criminal acts of Azerbaijan are of regular and systematic nature, aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear in Artsakh.

Azerbaijan will continue its criminal attempts against the people of Artsakh as long as the international community has not condemned unanimously the open Azerbaijani illegal acts against humanity”, he added.


February 15, 2022

Azerbaijanis again fire in the direction of farmers in Artsakh

On 15 February of 2022, at around 15:30, Azerbaijani servicemen opened fire in the direction of civilians engaged in farming near Khramort community. As a result, the tractor was damaged, while the civilians were saved thanks to the intervention of the Russian peacekeepers, ARMENPRESS reports the Prosecutor’s Office of Artsakh informed.

“Instead of threatening to arrest or prosecute the citizens of the Artsakh Republic, we would advise the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan to take minimal measures to prevent cases of physical annihilation of the civilian population of Artsakh and to prosecute those who committed such crimes. This is not only the only civilized approach for “peace-seeking” countries, but also the internationally and publicly assumed commitment of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has acceded to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”, reads the statement.


February 16, 2022

Azerbaijanis with the threat of the use of weapons prevented the agricultural activities of civilians

On February 16 of 2022, the representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces by the threat of use of weapons obstructed the agricultural activities of civilians in the vineyards in the administrative area of Khramort village, the region of Askeran.

The head of the Khramort community, Zorik Abrahamyan told “Artsakhpress”.

“Our residents are forbidden to work; The Azerbaijani servicemen threatened them and warned them not to go to those territories anymore. The Russian peacekeepers were also present. Azerbaijani servicemen took our residents out of  vineyards by the threat of use of weapons,” said the head of the community.

Zorik Abrahamyan noted that not only the residents of Khramort, but also the residents of the neighboring community work in these gardens. People are engaged in various agricultural activities in order to earn a living, but it turns out that they are deprived of their source of income,” said the head of the Khramort community.


February 18, 2022

The civilian population of the Taghavard community came under fire again

On February 18 of 2022, at about 17:00, from the Azerbaijani positions in the area of the Taghavard settlement of the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh, shots were fired at residential buildings, as a result of which the bullets damaged the outer walls of the house, one of the bullets hit the window of the house of one of the residents and penetrated inside.

Immediately after the incident, employees of the investigative body went to Tagavard, documented the consequences of the crime and recorded the evidence.


February 26, 2022

Azerbaijanis demand residents of Khramort village in Artsakh to leave their homes

Such demands have been heard for several days. The Azerbaijani military distribute these messages in Armenian through a loudspeaker.

In particular, it says: “Urgently leave the territory, otherwise we will force you. All responsibility for the casualties will fall on you․ Do not endanger your life and the lives of your loved ones. You are on the territory of Azerbaijan, and all actions are regulated by Azerbaijani law.”

Such messages are a primary threat to the peaceful residents.

Also, the Azerbaijanis turned on Azan through the loudspeakers.

The same loudspeakers in Azerbaijani positions.