Artsakh president restricts departure of citizens and creates commandant's office

YEREVAN, October 15. /ARKA/. On Thursday, Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, taking the provisions of the law on the legal regime of martial law as a basis, signed a decree imposing certain restrictions on the right to free movement on the territory of Artsakh, as well as establishing a special regime for citizens of the republic to leave the country.

"In order to ensure the implementation of the measures implied by this decree and the application of temporary restrictions on rights and freedoms and the organization of a unified management of forces and means, a commandant's office was created, for which the head of the State Emergency Service of Artsakh Karen Sargsyan was appointed commandant," the president wrote on his Facebook page.

Departure from the territory of Artsakh is from now is limited for citizens of Artsakh subject to conscription and is allowed only in special cases: if there is a check-out sheet issued by the commandant.

The commandant is also authorized, if necessary, to restrict the entry (exit) of persons and vehicles to certain territories of the republic and to introduce a special procedure and conditions for staying and moving in these territories.

War in Artsakh

On September 27, at 07:10, Azerbaijani troops launched an offensive along the entire length of the contact line in Artsakh, but were thrown back in several directions. Intense fighting continues in the south, southeast and north of the front line. Turkey joined the aggression. Residential areas are being shelled as well. 

The Azerbaijani side suffered losses in manpower (more than 5,489 people killed and thousands wounded) and equipment, in particular, 176 UAVs, 4 units of TOS – 1A, 4 Smerch and Uragan MLRS, more than 521 tanks and other armored vehicles, 16 helicopters and 19 aircraft. According to the data of the defense ministry of Armenia and Artsakh, more than 550 Armenian servicemen were killed and hundreds wounded on the Armenian side. Also 32 civilians were killed and more than 100 wounded on the Armenian side. 

On October 9, following the meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, with the mediation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, an agreement was reached on a ceasefire from 12:00 on October 10 for humanitarian purposes for the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of the dead. Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, on the basis of the basic principles of the settlement, are starting substantive negotiations with the aim of achieving a peaceful settlement as soon as possible.

Martial law and general mobilization were declared in Artsakh and Armenia. -0—