Artsakh soldier wounded in breach of ceasefire by Azerbaijanis

YEREVAN, Feb. 16. /ARKA/. A serviceman of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Defense Army Khachatur Khachatryan was wounded in a shootout provoked by Azerbaijani soldiers at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday in the east of Artsakh, Artsakh Defense Ministry reported. It said the condition of the wounded serviceman was serious.

The ceasefire breach was immediately reported to the Russian peacekeeping command. Also, on Tuesday at about 15:30 Azerbaijani soldiers positioned near the village of Khramort of Askeran region of Artsakh fired in the direction of the farmers who were working in the field near the village.

According to Artsakh General Prosecutor's Office, the farmer’s tractor was damaged as a result and the citizens managed to escape thanks to the intervention of peacekeepers.

"Instead of threatening Artsakh citizens with detentions and criminal charges, we would advise that Azerbaijani Prosecutor's Office take minimal measures to prevent cases aimed at the physical destruction of the civilian population of Artsakh and bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. This is not only the civilized approach for peace-seeking countries, but also an international and public obligation of Azerbaijan, which acceded to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms," the Artsakh Human Rights Defender said in a statement.

On February 11 at about 5:50 a.m. Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire in the direction of Karmir Shuka and Tagavard villages of Martuni region. As a result, according to Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan, houses, walls and roofs of several houses were damaged, a window was broken in the house of a resident of Karmir Shuka, and a bullet hit the living room of the house, where there were three underage children with their mother. -0-