Artsakh ombudsman: Villages, towns and capital Stepanakert intensively attacked by Azerbaijan causing numerous casualties

Starting from the early morning of 27 September, 2020, Azerbaijan began launching indiscriminate airstrikes (including UAV strikes) and artillery assaults against the Republic of Artsakh (Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh) along the entire line of the border, Artsakh Ombudsman says in a report on interim report on Azerbaijan's atrocities against Artsakh's population in September.

"Villages, towns and the capital Stepanakert have been intensively attacked, which caused numerous casualties and injuries among civilians. Large-scale damages have been caused to civilian objects, such as residential buildings, schools, etc, as well as, infrastructure vital to the survival of the civilian population. Life and health of children, women and the entire population of Artsakh are still under an imminent and real threat.

The current second interim report follows the first interim report1, published by the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh on 2 October 2020 and presents the facts of targeted attacks on civilian settlements and casualties derived thereof also the deployment of mercenaries and the use of multiple rocket launching systems and cluster munitions from 27 September to 9 October. The threatening situation on dissemination of massive hate speech towards ethnic Armenians by Azerbaijan and its results are also analyzed.

For the purpose of preparation of the report, fact-finding missions were commissioned, conducted interviews and applications submitted to the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh, inquiries to public authorities, as well as, media and social media publications have been analyzed.

The Azerbaijani aggression also included indiscriminate attacks in villages of Vardenis Region, Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, which are presented in the ad hoc report of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

On 10 October a cease-fire agreement was reached in Moscow, effective from noon. But according to Ministry of Defense of Artsakh (as of 1:00PM), Azerbaijan continued offensive military actions.

The military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia by Azerbaijan are even more condemnable, since it was launched during the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. On March 23, the Secretary-General of the United Nations called for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world due to the threat of coronavirus," the interim reports says.