Artsakh Ombudsman: ICRC`s, RPC`s int`l legal and political guarantees  practically insufficient to protect rights of Artsakh people 

ArmInfo.The international legal and political guarantees from both the International Committee  of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Russian peacekeeping contingent (RPC)  are practically insufficient to protect the rights of the people of Artsakh, including the right to free and safe movement. This is stated in the statement of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh,  published in connection with the kidnapping of Artsakh citizen Alen Nelson Sargsyan, born in 2001, by Azerbaijani border and other services.

In particular, the source notes: "On August 28, accompanied by the  Russian peacekeeping contingent, another transfer of civilians from  Artsakh to Armenia was carried out. According to the preliminary  data, 170 persons were transported accompanied by the peacekeeping  contingent.

Around 13:00, persons heading to Armenia reached the illegal  Azerbaijani checkpoint located next to the Hakari Bridge in the  Lachin corridor.  According to the information received by the Office  of the Human Rights Defender, Alen Nelsonovich Sargsyan, born in  2001, was abducted by force and coercion and taken away in an unknown  direction by the representatives of the Azerbaijani border and other  services.  In addition, other 5 persons from Artsakh were taken to a  special room near the checkpoint for interrogation by the  representatives of the border and other services of Azerbaijan.  During the interrogation, various questions were asked: sport  activities, the purpose of the trip to Armenia, the economic  situation in Armenia and Artsakh, etc.

According to the information received, two more persons from the  pre-agreed lists - Vahe Hovsepyan and Levon Grigoryan - did not cross  the illegal checkpoint. However, it is not possible to establish a  connection with them.

All three citizens are students of the educational institutions in  the Republic of Armenia.

We have numerously noted that the illegal checkpoint located near the  Hakari bridge poses a direct and irrefutable threat to the physical  existence and protection of the fundamental rights of the civilian  population of Artsakh. The abduction of Vagif Khachatryan and Alen  Sargsyan irrefutably proves that the so-called checkpoint has turned  into a tool for serving the Azerbaijani criminal arbitrariness,  through which Azerbaijanis arbitrarily kidnap and deprive civilians  of their freedom. 120,000 people are kept under the blockade,  deprived of humanitarian access and the possibility of protection of  their basic human rights.

The international legal and political guarantees from both the  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Russian  peacekeepers are practically insufficient to protect the rights of  the population of Artsakh, including the right to free and safe  movement.  Taking into account the commitments made by these two  actors, the Human Rights Defender demands that they take all possible  measures to ensure the safety of the humanitarian movement of the  population of Artsakh and the immediate return of the abducted  persons. Otherwise, without such guarantees, the transportation of  civilians should be stopped.

The Staff of the Human Rights Defender continues to collect facts in  connection with the incident, about which we will make an additional  statement. The collected facts will be summarized and presented to  the international organisations and other international actors with a  mandate to protect human rights."