14:13, 24 March, 2022

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Women in Artsakh held a peaceful rally in Stepanakert to make their voices heard by the international community, drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis which occurred after Azerbaijan deliberately cut off gas supply.

“….All international organizations should take clear actions pursuant to humanitarian principles, instead of making calls,” said of the women.

The demonstrators said that right now there is a humanitarian disaster in Artsakh and the whole world knows that Azerbaijan is the perpetrator.

They warned that Azerbaijan could exploit the situation and aggravate it even more.

The women said that the residents of Artsakh, the citizens of Artsakh are equally entitled to all the rights that citizens of other countries have.

“But the most painful thing is that there is no single organization, structure that could force the aggressor to stop its atrocities,” one of the demonstrators said, asking the international organizations to deal with the issue of the security of Artsakh’s population.

“None of us wants to leave their home. Let Azerbaijan understand this, the people of Artsakh lived here and will continue living here.”

The authorities of Artsakh said that the main pipeline supplying gas from Armenia to Artsakh was damaged on March 7 and the supply stopped.

The Artsakh authorities had said the area where the damage occurred was in Azerbaijani-controlled territory. It was reported that the Azerbaijani military deliberately damaged the pipeline.

The Azerbaijani authorities obstructed repair works for days. Only on March 16 the authorities in Artsakh announced that the Azerbaijani side itself began the repair work. However, days later, the gas supply was cut again. Authorities they have reasons to believe that during the repairs the Azeri authorities installed a valve on the pipeline in order to shut it down whenever they want.

Meanwhile, the population of Artsakh is without gas and heating amid freezing temperatures and snowfalls. The Artsakh foreign ministry described Azerbaijan’s actions as humanitarian terrorism.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry the current situation emphasizes the urgency of clear response of the international community towards preventing the humanitarian crisis.

On March 22 the Human Rights Defender of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan and the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan issued a joint statement, calling on international human rights organizations to pressure Azerbaijan and eliminate its gross and continuous human rights violations against the Armenians of Artsakh.

On March 23, the FM of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan they utilized all diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation.

On March 23, the European Union expressed its concerns.

On March 24, Freedom House urged Azerbaijan to prevent humanitarian crisis and restore gas supplies to Artsakh.

Speaking on the gas supply cut-off, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the March 24 Cabinet meeting that Azerbaijan seeks to finish ethnic cleansing in Artsakh.

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