NK reacts to alleged stone-throwing at Armenian cars by Azerbaijani soldiers in Russian peacekeeping zones

“The Azerbaijani authorities deliberately and purposefully undermine the stability in the region and the peacekeeping mission carried out by the Russian Federation”, the foreign ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said in connection with recent incidents when Azerbaijanis, according to eyewitnesses, threw stones at Armenian cars.

Two such cases have been reported in the last week.

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Details of incidents

The first incident took place on the Sarushen-Karmir Gyukh road. The driver of the VAZ 2107 car, Lendrush Babayan, was returning to Stepanakert from the village of Msmna, Martuni district of NK.

“A Niva was driving in front of me, they threw it at the Niva, they didn’t hit it, I followed it, they threw it into my car, hit the windshield,” Babayan said.

Azerbaijanis travel along this section of the road from the Red Bazaar to Shushi, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers.

After the incident, the owner of the damaged car blocked the way for Azerbaijanis and Russian peacekeepers and demanded an explanation, NK police said.

According to the testimony of Lendrush Babayan, the Azerbaijani officer photographed the car and promised to report the incident to his superiors.

“According to the Russian side, the problem is not only in compensation for damage, but also in the exclusion of such cases from now on,” the police said in a statement.

However, a few days later a similar incident occurred again – this time on the section of the Stepanakert-Goris road.

The details of this incident were presented by the deputy head of the Armenian community of Goris, Irina Yolyan.

According to her, Azerbaijanis threw stones at the car carrying the remains of those killed during the second Karabakh war. The incident took place at 4-5 km of the Stepanakert-Goris road. The driver got scared, but did not stop.

“These facts […] need to be recorded and measures taken. Who should finally guarantee the right to the safe movement of civilians?” wrote Irina Yolyan.

NK Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan contacted the driver of the car. According to him, because of the heavy fog, the driver did not see those who hit the car.

“Considering that the incident took place not far from the city of Shushi, it is highly likely that Azerbaijanis threw stones at the car.

In this case, this is already the second incident published by the media in the last week, when Azerbaijan grossly violates a trilateral statement made at the highest political level November 2020],” the human rights defender wrote on his Facebook page.

“Impunity is fraught with unpredictable consequences” – reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Such provocations against the civilian population of Artsakh indicate that either Baku does not control the Azerbaijani armed formations in the occupied territories of Artsakh, or the Azerbaijani authorities deliberately and purposefully undermine stability in the region and the peacekeeping mission carried out by the Russian Federation,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. unrecognized republic.

The ministry’s commentary notes that impunity and inaction are fraught with unpredictable consequences for peace and stability in the region. It is also suggested that these incidents are “a consequence of the illegal presence in the occupied territories of Artsakh of Azerbaijani armed formations and international terrorist groups under the patronage of Azerbaijan and Turkey.”