Newsletter of the Artsakh Government – Day 85 Under Blockade

3 police officers were killed as a result of an Azerbaijani ambush attack 

On the morning of March 5, at around 10:00, Azerbaijani armed forces infiltrated Artsakh territory in a wooded area on the road in the area of “Khaipalu.” The Azerbaijani forces targeted the shift car of staff of the Police Passport and Visa Department, ambushing and opening fire on the vehicle.  
 
3 police officers were killed as a result of the ambush. 
Lieutenant Colonel: Armen Majori Babayan 
Major: Davit Valerii Danielyan 
Lieutenant: Ararat Telmani Gasparyan 
 
Another serviceman, Lieutenant Davit Ashoti Hovsepyan, received a gunshot wound in the chest and is in the Republican Medical Center. 

The Azerbaijani side presents false facts, claiming weapons were transported from Armenia to Artsakh in a police car. The Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs published video evidence refuting the claim 

 
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has spread disinformation about the ambush by Azerbaijani armed forces in the area of “Khaipalu” on March 5, in an attempt to justify the false narrative that their armed forces were preventing the transfer of weapons from Armenia to Artsakh. 
Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs published a video of the attack, clearly showing the direction of movement of the car (from Stepanakert to the place of shift – Shushi region) refuting the false statements of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. 
 
Firstly, there were no weapons in the car other than police service weapons. Secondly, weapons could not have been transported from Armenia because the officers’ vehicle was clearly travelling from Stepanakert to their shift location and not moving from the Republic of Armenia.  
 
The video clearly shows the movement of the Azerbaijani servicemen and how they approach the car, open the door, shoot again and run away. 

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the police officers 

 
The analysis of the initial circumstances of the killing of the policemen allows to justify the actions of the Azerbaijani side as a war crime. 
 
The infiltration of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the territory of the Republic of Artsakh and the attack on the officers of the Artsakh police is another flagrant violation of the November 9 Trilateral Declaration and shows the desire of the Azerbaijani side to provoke and escalate tensions. 
 
Earlier, on March 2 and on the night of March 2-3, the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces stationed in the occupied territories of Askeran, Martakert and Martunu regions of the Republic of Artsakh also violated cease-fire agreements of the Trilateral Declaration of November 9, 2020. It is noteworthy that these attacks were carried out immediately after meetings between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan took place on March 1 regarding the opening of the Lachin Corridor. By its actions, Baku openly demonstrates its rejection of negotiations as means to find a solution to any issue. 

 
The international community is dealing with a criminal regime and an entity that brazenly ignores and discredits international law. The only way to convince it is to implement deterrent and punitive measures. HRD of Artsakh 

Under conditions of the two and a half month long blockade, the Azerbaijani side has resorted to armed attacks in recent days, targeting the citizens and agricultural machinery in different areas. 
 
The aspirations and goals of Azerbaijan to ethnic cleans Artsakh should be more than obvious to the entire international community, primarily the member states of the UN Security Council as a structure responsible for maintaining international peace, as well as the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, USA, France). 
 
After the establishment of the ceasefire on November 9, 2020, thousands of facts and testimonies were presented regarding Azerbaijani crimes, but the same template approach to the issue continues. It is necessary to get out of stereotyped approaches and formulations regarding the conflict, to overcome the duality complex and to look at the situation as it is. 

Update of daily statistics 

320 children have been born under the blockade. 

About 780 people have been deprived of the opportunity to receive necessary medical treatment due to the suspension of planned surgeries in all medical facilities of Artsakh. 

As of today, 144 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia to receive appropriate medical care with the mediation and accompaniment of the International 

Committee of the Red Cross. Due to the Red Cross not having an ambulance and only being able to transport patients with an ordinary vehicle, it is not possible to transport patients needing to lay down because Azerbaijani has obstructed the movement of Artsakh ambulances.  

755 business entities (17.7% of the total) have suspended their activities due to the impossible operating conditions under the blockade, while the remaining operate partially or with state support. 

At least 5,700 people have lost jobs and sources of income as a result of the impact on the Economy. 

More than 33,200 tons of vital supplies, which would have been delivered during the period of the blockade, have not reached Artsakh. Only a meager amount has since been delivered by the ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping forces. 
 
During the blockade, the economy of the Republic of Artsakh suffered a loss of around 150 million US dollars, leading to decline of the predicted annual GDP index (903 million dollars) by more than 16 percent. 

Key facts 

Due to the shortages in food, 20 long-day educational institutions have been working partially since January 9, and in different periods, instruction of kindergartens and schools were also completely or partially stopped. 

Since the beginning of the blockade, several types of food, specifically almost all types of vegetables and fruits, which were imported from Armenia, have faced drastic shortages and eventually became unavailable. Considering the shortages of food, a special coupon system has been in effect in Artsakh since January 20. Within the coupon system, limited volumes of pasta, buckwheat, rice, sugar, oil, fruits, vegetables, eggs, as well as non-food products like washing powder, are sold. 

Since January 9, the only high-voltage power line between Armenia and Artsakh has been cut in the territory under Azerbaijani control. The Azerbaijani side does not allow Artsakh specialists to enter and restore the power supply. Taking into account that the volume of domestic electricity production, currently run on hydropower, is much less than consumption, and the water resources of the Sarsang reservoir are decreasing, rolling blackouts have been instituted. From January 10 Artsakh switched to 2-hour blackouts, from January 17 to 4-hour blackouts, and since January 21 residents experience 6 hours of blackouts each day. 

Since the beginning of the blockade, many countries and international organizations have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions and called for the lifting of the blockade. This issue was also discussed in the UN Security Council while the European Court of Human Rights ordered Azerbaijan to take all necessary and sufficient measures to end the blockade. The issue will soon be considered in the UN International Court of Justice (The Hague) as part of the proceedings of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

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