"The fierce struggle waged by Azerbaijan against the state symbols of the Artsakh Republic is another manifestation of the xenophobic behavior of the Azerbaijani authorities towards the Armenians," the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan said in statement on Friday. 

The Ombudsman referred to the case of clearing the symbols of Artsakh statehood with knives from a bus  and  demands to remove the Artsakh flag from various  buildings of Artsakh, naming them "vivid examples of the complete lack of tolerance of Azerbaijanis towards Armenians living in Artsakh." 

"We must keep in mind that the symbols of Artsakh statehood are an integral part of our cultural values, so intolerance towards them is another proof that Azerbaijan is systematically fighting against Armenian cultural values in Artsakh. The symbols of statehood are the symbols of the right of the people of Artsakh to live in their homeland, to preserve their identity, to self-determination, against which any encroachment is directed against the dignity of our people and the general system of rights," added Stepanyan.