January 29, 2020
The updated tally of civilian deaths at the hands of Azerbaijani forces was published by the Artsakh Human Rights Defender’s Office on Jan. 29
The Artsakh Human Rights Defender’s Office updated an earlier report about civilian fatalities caused by Azerbaijani attacks on Artsakh, showing a higher number than previously reported.
The report was amended to include new information after more search operations revealed a higher number of civilian casualties.
The report summarizes the cases of civilian casualties from the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan and Turkey against Artsakh beginning on September 27. It also includes the number of civilians killed while being imprisoned in areas that fell under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces. The cases are introduced with relevant briefs.
From September 27 to January 28, 72 civilians were killed by Azerbaijani armed forces, according to the newly-updated report, which sites that 41 civilian were killed during targeted strikes, while 31 died in captivity.
The report also cites a number of torture cases, instances of mutilation and deliberate targeting of civilians. The Artsakh Human Rights Defender’s report also cites that there were 163 civilians who were injured as a result of targeted strikes.
The Report presents only the cases that have been irrefutably identified. At the same time the Human Rights Defenders Office continues to receive information about other cases, which require investigation and will be presented in future updates of the report.
At the time of updating the report, the Human Rights Defenders staff still has information on missing civilians some of whom most probably are in captivity, and others are allegedly killed by Azerbaijani armed forces. These instances can be proven as more bodies are recovered from areas in Artsakh that are now under Azerbaijani control.
Bodies of some of the victims were discovered a long time after their deaths, hence requiring in-depth forensic examination in order to determine the cause of death and whether crimes were committed. The report, however, includes some preliminary conclusion from forensic investigation.