NKR Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis broke into one of the cars of Artsakh  citizens returning home

ArmInfo. The Azerbaijanis broke into one of the cars with the citizens of Artsakh, who were returning home with the assistance of Russian peacekeepers. This is stated in  the statement of Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan.

As the Ombudsman noted: "On April 4 at about 15:30, 27 civilians,  including elderly, children, and people with disabilities, who have  been separated from their families for several months, in accordance  with the agreement reached with the Russian side and accompanied by  Russian peacekeepers, left the city of Goris of the Republic of  Armenia for Stepanakert.

Despite a prearranged agreement, Azerbaijani government agents posing  as "eco-activists" blocked the passage of vehicles of the Russian  peacekeeping forces carrying civilians near Shushi - a blocked  section of the Goris-Stepanakert highway. As a result, citizens  stayed in that area for about 5 hours. After fruitless negotiations  between the Russian side and the Azerbaijanis, the vehicles are now  returning to Goris.

According to obtained facts, some Azerbaijanis even broke into one of  the cars. During the negotiations, the well-being of 4 civilians  worsened, and 3 of them fainted. Accompanied by Russian peacekeepers,  they were taken to the Republican Medical Center of Stepanakert.  Other 23 civilians are returning to Goris.

From the first day of the 114-day blockade, the Azerbaijani side has  announced on various platforms that the road is open for the  transportation of civilians and cargo, directly questioning not only  the valid claims of the Armenian side but also the positions and  statements of many international actors, the reality recorded by the  ICJ decision of February 22, 2023.  Today's incident proves once  again the whole essence of the false and fabricated claims of the  Azerbaijani leadership, the behavior of obvious and undisguised lying  and misleading the international community.

Moreover, by allowing the exit of people from Artsakh in various  ways, but prohibiting entry, the Azerbaijani authorities are openly  implementing a policy of ethnic cleansing, as Ilham Aliyev once again  admitted in his statement on January 10.

It has long been obvious that the only reason for the insolent  behavior of the Azerbaijani side, the ignorance of the calls of the  international community, and the failure to comply with the decision  of the International Court of Justice is the created permissiveness,  the disdain shown towards the peacekeeping mission and the lack of  targeted and practical punitive actions by all interested  international actors.

At the moment, hundreds of civilians in the city of Goris and other  communities of RA are simply deprived of the opportunity to reunite  with their families. The Azerbaijani side, taking advantage of the  atmosphere of permissiveness, does not cooperate on this matter with  the Russian peacekeepers, the International Committee of the Red  Cross, or other international institutions.