ArmInfo. RA Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan met with the US Ambassador to Armenia in 2001-2004 John Ordway and Director of Eurasian Programs of the International Organization "Humanitarian Dialogue" David Gorman.
As reported by the office of the RA Ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan presented the facts of violation by the Azerbaijani authorities of the rights of border residents of Armenia in the post-war period. He noted that issues related to the state border of the Republic of Armenia should be considered from the point of view of human rights, so that they would not be relegated to the background, would not limit the state's ability to protect these rights.
The RA Human Rights Defender clarified that as a result of the illegal actions of Azerbaijan, people were deprived of houses, lands and pastures that belonged to them in Soviet times, as a result of which not only social, but also serious security problems arose.
"The illegal presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, for example, on the Black Lake (Sev Lich), has caused serious security problems for nearby settlements, as they have become targets and the Azerbaijani military are opening fire. In addition, most people cannot engage in animal husbandry, which is a source of income for their families, and in Gegharkunik and Syunik regions, citizens cannot keep cattle and small ruminants on farms near pastures, water them or graze them. Moreover, the availability of water resources is under threat not only in Syunik, but also in Gegharkunik region, and a number of villages are completely deprived of water, "the statement of the RA Ombudsman says.
Arman Tatoyan stressed that the demarcation of the border 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 RA citizens and especially residents of the border area, but will cause new violations of rights and new tensions.
The Ombudsman made a special mention of his recently published special report on Azerbaijan's responsibility for torture and inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners.