Following the calls received by the Human Rights Defender’s Office, as well as mass media publications about shootings carried out by the Azerbaijani armed forces towards civilian houses, the school and kindergarten of borderline villages Vazashen and Barekamavan in Tavush Province, on September 15, the representatives of the RA Human Rights Defender’s Office visited borderline villages of Vazashen and Barekamavan in Tavush province. The fire which had started in the vicinity of Barekamavan village received special attention. As the villagers stated, the pastures burnt as a result of the fire that started near the Azerbaijani border, which then spread in the village.
Following the special principles of the international practice, private conversations were held with the head of the community, and villagers. There were also examinations of the publicly available information on the consequences of the shootings and other necessary examinations.
The fact-finding mission discovered traces of life-threatening shootings, which confirm that there had been targeted shootings towards the village.
It is planned to prepare an ad hoc report on the explicit violations committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the borderline village of RA Tavush province, in order to present it to respective Armenian and international institutions.