It's impossible to protect the rights of Artsakh's residents in conditions of Azerbaijan's policy of Armenophobia, Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan said in his interview with journalists.
Answering a question about the fact that despite all the atrocities committed by Azerbaijan, the collective West considers it as a "partner" and doesn't apply sanctions, Gegham Stepanyan said: "This is a bitter reality. The protection of human rights is subordinated to political and geopolitical interests. We have repeatedly voiced this concern in various discussions." According to him, with this approach, tons of documents created after World War II become meaningless.
"But that doesn't mean we should refuse to go our own way. We should always stick to our chosen path – the right to self-determination, the right to security, the right to life, the right to preserve cultural values. This is perceived at the public level. That is, if those who make political decisions constantly refer to political gains, then at least for those who are guided by the public interest, they understand the agenda of defending rights," he noted.
"My task is to make ordinary people in Europe, the US and Russia understand that it's impossible to protect the rights of Artsakh's residents under Azerbaijan's policy of Armenophobia. In this context, I can say that my impression is that the Russian peacekeepers before coming to to Artsakh had one perception of our conflict, but having been here, faced with different circumstances for a year and a half, they changed their views on many issues. That's why we say to the representatives of international organizations: come and get acquainted with the situation on the spot," Gegham Stepanyan said.
