Blocking of Lachin Corridor done by instructions of Azerbaijani authorities, the president himself – Artsakh Ombudsman

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The international humanitarian law says that no second for the vital conditions for life should be stopped, but we can see that for 24 hours the most elementary right of the people living in Artsakh has been hindered, Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan said during a press conference in Armenpress, who has arrived in Yerevan recently for the 4th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide and now is unable to return to Artsakh because of the blocking of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijanis.

“We should look at what humanitarian consequences this Azerbaijani criminal act can have and what consequences it already has. First of all, for already more than 24 hours the supply of food, energy carriers, medicines and other essentials has been suspended in the entire Artsakh. All this is being done by the instructions of the Azerbaijani authorities, the President of Azerbaijan namely, because the environmental pretext is totally fake. There is information that the people who blocked that road are mainly those guided by the Azerbaijani authorities, they are also representatives of the special services [of Azerbaijan]”, Gegham Stepanyan said.

He once again drew the attention of international role players, international human rights and inter-governmental organizations to a very important fact that at this moment 120,000 people in Artsakh are in blockade.

“We also must emphasize the fact that Artsakh has no air communication with any part of the world”, he stated.

He said that his Office is receiving alarms that the medical supplies in hospitals are enough only for several days, and if this situation continues, they will face a serious problem. The same concerns the supplies of food and energy carriers.