Since November 9 of 2020, Azerbaijan has committed more than 90 crimes against the people of Artsakh. After the war of 2020 that started by Azerbaijan, many villages of Artsakh are currently in close proximity and under the observation of Azerbaijani troops, what has become an occasion for the Azerbaijani troops to violate the basic human rights of the people of Artsakh.
Shelling of villages with weapons of various types and calibers, kidnappings and murders of villagers and civilians, invasions into the houses of villagers, damage to agricultural machinery, water poisoning, damage to gas and water pipes – all this proves that the presence of Azerbaijani troops is a danger to the population of Artsakh. Due to the presence of Azerbaijani troops, all types of agricultural work have been suspended, and the free movement of residents is hindered.
This article presents the violence against the people of Artsakh committed by the armed forces of Azerbaijan in March 2022.
Timeline
March 4, 2022 – Azerbaijani troops open fire in the direction of the village of Norshen
Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire in the direction of the village of Norshen in the Martuni region of Artsakh. Like in Khramort last week, they intimidated civilians with a threat of the use of a force and called on them to leave their homes in Armenian.
The announcement over the loudspeakers 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. The agricultural work you are doing is illegal!!!”.
In the second part of the video, filmed from Azerbaijani positions, it can be seen that the villagers and agricultural equipment are evacuated, which is a result of the life-threatening situation created by the Azerbaijani troops for the villagers engaged in agriculture.
March 6, 2022 – Azerbaijani troops fired on Armenian positions near the village of Khramort
Azerbaijani troops again went on a provocation, firing early morning on Armenian positions near the village of Khramort in Artsakh’s Askeran region.
The Azerbaijani troops periodically commit provocations in the vicinity of Khramort village in the Askeran region. They are trying to interfere with the peaceful life of the villagers and agricultural work, the organization of rural life.
Adding to the threat of the use of military force an information attack of psychological pressure and the possibility of spreading various statements through loudspeakers.
“Attempts are being made to disrupt the normal life of the village and agricultural work,” the Artsakh Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) writes, adding that the gunfire started several days ago – quoted the Hetq.
The PGO writes that Azerbaijani forces have been using loudspeakers to spread messages threatening the use of military force on the village.
Besides of military provocations Azeri troops are also desperately try to psychologically frustrate Armenians,
constantly day and night turned on loudspeakers which sounds can be heard from Shushi to Stepanakert and beyond.
loudspeakers during the day
loudspeakers at night
March 7, 2022 – Shelling of the village of Khramort and the cemetery of the village from mortars
Azeri troops fired from 60-mm mortars at the cemetery of the village of Khramort, thereby proving that the Azerbaijani side purposefully seeks to destroy not only the peaceful indigenous Armenians population of Artsakh, but also to destroy evidence of the presence of Armenians in Artsakh.
Azerbaijani troops continued shelling the positions of the Artsakh Defense Army near the village of Khramort, including from 120-mm mortars.
In the same day аt about 12:40, units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened aimed fire at Armenian side on the western section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani(Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic) border. Azerbaijani Gunfire Kills Armenian Border Soldier Sergeant Hrach Manasaryan and wounded another soldier․
March 8, 2022 – Damaged gas pipeline near Azerbaijani positions and shelling the village of Khramort
March 8 at the night, around 01:00, an accident occurred, as a result of which the gas supply to the territory of the Republic of Artsakh was interrupted.
The entire territory of Artsakh is deprived of gas supply – the gas pipeline from Armenia to Artsakh is damaged in the territory controlled by Azerbaijani troops.
Statement of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Artsakh : “The main pipeline supplying natural gas from Armenia to Artsakh was damaged due to a malfunction at 01:00, March 8. The damaged section is near an Azerbaijani military position.At this moment the Azerbaijani side is obstructing the launch of repair works, negotiations with mediation of the Russian peacekeeping mission are underway for launching the repair works tomorrow”.
By the end of the day, Azeri troops was firing mortars at the positions of the Artsakh Defense Army near the village of Khramort. Prior to this, the Azeri Armed forces shelled the village itself.
Fragments of shells in the village of Khramort, fired in the direction of the civilian sector.
Fragments of shells 
Fragments of shells 
Crater from an exploded mortar shell
The Azerbaijani forces once again violated the ceasefire near the village of Khramort in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on March 8, at around 11:00 pm.The Azerbaijani side fired three mines from a 60 mm caliber mortar in the direction of the village, the press service of Artsakh’s Defense Ministry reports.The incident has been reported to the Russian peacekeeping command.
March 9, 2022 – Firing and shelling Khramort, Nakhichevanik, Khnushinak, Karmir Shuka villages
The Peacekeeping Forces of the RF blocked the movement of Azerbaijani convoys in Artsakh in all directions, due to the refusal to provide emergency services with access to the gas pipeline supplying Artsakh with gas. It should be noted that most likely the gas pipeline was intentionally damaged by the Azerbaijanis in order to create a tense situation.
In the morning, the Azerbaijanis continued shelling the outskirts of the Khramort village.
Around 13:10 – 15:00, Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on Armenian military positions located in the western part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Around 14:00 – 14:30, the Azerbaijani military violated the ceasefire regime from positions deployed in the direction of the Khnushinak village of the Martuni region of Artsakh. The Azerbaijani armed forces used a 60 mm mortar. 4 shots were fired. There were no casualties on the Armenian side.
The Azeri troops are actively firing with different caliber weapons, including mortars, in the direction of administrative areas and roads of Khramort and Nakhichevanik, Khnushinak and Karmir Shuka communities of Askerani region of the Republic of Artsakh, stopping all kinds of agricultural works, causing obstacles to the free movement of residents. During the day, threats “to leave the area, to use force” were again sounded from the Azerbaijani military base located near the Khramort community.
March 10, 2022 – Firing and shelling Nakhichevanik and Khramort villages
Between the evening of 9 March and the morning of 10 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces fired upon and damaged, the tractor parked in a field by a land user after carrying out agricultural work in the garden in the administrative territory of the Nakhichevanik community of the Askeran region of Artsakh Republic.
The Artsakh Prosecutor’s Office informs that at the moment measures are being taken to remove the agricultural equipment from the dangerous zone.
Fortunately, there are no casualties, but this is not the first time when Azerbaijani Armed Forces damage agricultural machines, which proves the fact that Azerbaijani Armed Forces are the cause of regional instability, humanitarian disasters and are a threat to the ethnic Armenian population of Artsakh.
At around 10:30-10:35 a civilian was wounded in Khramort as a result of mortar shelling from the Azerbaijani side, there is no threat to life.
51-year-old Suren Baghryan worked in the yard of his house. He was wounded in the back as a result of an Azeri’s mortar attack. A mine exploded in the yard, the Artsakh Police reported. Baghdasaryan was urgently taken to the hospital and provided medical assistance.
The moment of the shelling of the Artsakh village of Khramort by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces was recorded on video when the report was filmed.
“I was working when a shell exploded nearby. My back was seized, I felt how fragments of a shell pierced me. I hid behind a wall, then went to the doctors on my own, and they took me to Askeran.” – told the injured resident of the village Khramort Suren Bagryan.
The night of March 10 turned out to be restless, in connection with which the Askeran Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Artsakh switched to an enhanced mode of service, a group of police officers arrived in the village of Khramort, head of the Askeran District Police Department of the Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs Arman Sarukhanyan said. According to him, at night the Azeri troops fired mortars at the territories adjacent to Khnamort, as well as the pastures of the nearby village of Khnapat. In the morning, as a result of another shelling, Suren Bagryan, a resident of Khramort village, received a shrapnel wound in the back. The shrapnel was removed from the back and nothing threatens his health․
Subtitles to video
-There was an explosion a little while ago, you can see the smoke… Minutes ago actually… from our interview… we… I don’t know if you heard(seen, recorded) the explosion or not, but it(shell) fell in that area where you see the dust.
-Hello?
-How are you?
-Have you been here when it exploded?
-Were you injured?
-Where did it hit?
-How do you feel?
-What should we do?
“From 15:50 to 17:40 the Azerbaijani troops fired 15 rounds of 60 mm caliber towards the east. In general, 23 rounds of artillery ammunition were fired in the direction of Khramort village. The command of the Russian peacekeeping forces was informed about the violation of the ceasefire regime” reported by the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh.
March 11, 2022 – Firing and shelling the villages of Karmir Shuka, Khnapat, Khramort, Parukh
Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire from mortars in the direction of the village of Khnapat. The incident occurred on the morning of March 11, at about 10:20. The Azeri troops fired two 120 mm mines that landed near a village school. There were no casualties. In addition, the Azerbaijani military demanded through loudspeakers that the inhabitants of the village of Tagavard, Martuni district, leave the village.
At 5:45 am, the Azerbaijani side turned on Mugham from the loudspeakers near the village of Taghavard.
At 16:21, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on the villages of Khnapat and Parukh. 3 shells were fired in the direction of Khnapat, 2 shells fell on the territory of the village of Parukh. There are no casualties from the Armenian side.
Around 18:00, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fired two mortar rounds in the direction of Khnapat.
At 18:55, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces once again opened fire in the direction of the village of Khnapat(fired one mortar round).
A) Parukh B) Khramort C) Khnapat D) Askeran E) Nakhijevanik F) Harav G) Norshen , Khnushinak (south of the Norshen village)
March 14, 2022 – Russian peacekeeping forces in Taghavard
In Taghavard, in response to the continued threats of the Azerbaijanis, the Russian peacekeepers played a recording on loudspeakers, in which called Azerbaijanis to maintain the ceasefire regime, not to provoke and keep the reached agreements.
“Ceasefire violations occurred on Thursday and Friday in the direction of Taghavard, and were also heard in the Karmir Shuka(Red Market).Azeri troops mostly shot from small arms. Later, it was found out that the Azeris were also fired in the direction of the Russian peacekeeping troops, fortunately bullets hit the roof of the building where the peacekeepers were based. In recent days, Azeris have been spreading a recording to spread fear among the people.” said the head of Karmir Shuka community Narek Atayan in a conversation with journalists.
March 15, 2022 – Humanitarian crisis still unresolved
“In recent days, the Azerbaijani actions are more aggressive. They are using different weapons, including large-caliber grenade launchers, in the direction of civilian communities. The residents of Khnapat, Khramort, Karmir Shuka, Taghavard, Khnushinak, and other are becoming a direct target for Azerbaijani criminal actions. It is the seventh day, the whole population of Artsakh is deprived of gas.
The Azerbaijani sides does not allow specialists to approach the damaged part of the only gas pipeline coming from Armenia to Artsakh. As a result, a number of humanitarian problems have arisen in Artsakh, such as proper heating, availability of hot water, properalization of the right to education, healthcare and many other issues.” said in video message Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan.
March 16, 2022 – Azerbaijani side has “started” to repair a gas pipeline
According to the Information Headquarters of Artsakh Azerbaijani side has started to repair a pipeline supplying Artsakh with natural gas from Armenia. Azerbaijan agreed to repair the pipeline, which passes through territory it occupied during the 2020 Artsakh war, following negotiations brokered by the Armenian government and Russian peacekeepers. The pipeline was damaged on March 8, in yet unspecified circumstances, depriving Artsakh residents of much needed fuel supplies.
March 18, 2022 – Repair work on the damaged gas pipeline completed
The repair works of the damaged gas pipeline have been completed, the Artsakh Information Headquarters reports. Taking into account the fact that the gas pipeline has not operated for 10 days, a number of technical works are being carried out to ensure the proper and uninterrupted supply of gas to the distribution networks.
The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh published an interim report on violations of the rights of Artsakh people by Azerbaijan in February – march 2022.
Azerbaijan is the main threat of regional security, grossly violating all international laws related to territorial integrity and the right to self-determination. And continues its genocidal policy against the Armenian people and culture, creating humanitarian crises in Artsakh and deploying its troops in Armenia after war in 2020.
March 21, 2022 – Azerbaijanis cut off gas supply to Artsakh after gas pipeline repair
The Azerbaijanis has again cut off the gas supply to Artsakh. In fact, the Azerbaijani side, repaired the gas pipeline, put a valve there and now it can stably cut off the gas supply. This behavior of Azerbaijanis once again proves that the damaged gas pipeline on March 8 was not an accident.
March 24, 2022 – Occupation of the village of Parukh and humanitarian crisis – lack of gas and water
There is gas in the Artsakh village of Yeghtsahogh (Shushi region), Azerbaijanis cannot block the gas to this village, since they do not have access to the part of the gas pipeline that goes to Artsakh from Armenia and supply village. However, there is a problem with the water supply in Yeghtsahogh , it is blocked by the Azerbaijanis.
The biggest problem in Yeghtsahogh , which became a border village after the Azerbaijani aggression in 2020, is security. According to the head of the community, they will not stop making efforts to return to their usual way of life. First of all, they want to solve the problem of drinking water in the village. The pipeline supplying the village with water is located in the territory occupied by Azerbaijan, which was blocked by the Azerbaijanis.
Due to the lack of heating in the Arevik hospital in Artsakh, planned surgeries for children are being postponed. Alternative heating is currently being used, but it does not heat the hospital well enough.
Artsakh Information Headquarters: On March 24, around 16:00, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the line of contact in the direction of the village of Parukh in the Askeran province. Representatives of the Defense Army and the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the Republic of Artsakh are trying to stop the further advance of the enemy through negotiations and return them to their initial positions.We inform that the women and children of the Khramort community of Askeran are being evacuated for security reasons.
Around evening Azerbaijani troops occupied the village of Parukh, then attempted to ensure advancement in the eastern border of the Republic of Artsakh.
March 25, 2022 – Azeri troops use combat drones
Azerbaijani units opened fire on units of the Defense Army of Artsakh from various-caliber firearms and using combat drones, include Bayraktar-TB2, the Armenian side has 19(5 wounded from last night) wounded and 2 dead.
After the invasion of the village of Parukh, the Azerbaijani armed forces, in the presence of Russian peacekeepers, are paving the way to the strategically important Karaglukh height with an excavator.
March 26, 2022
At around 11:00 the Azerbaijani Armed Forces again resorted to aggressive actions, using various caliber small arms and attempting to advance in the direction of the Republic of Artsakh’s eastern borderline, the territory in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh said in a statement.
