13:50,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. The government of Azerbaijan instituted a toll for the Varanda-Shushi road which is under its control after the war in 2020, sparking outrage in the Azerbaijani society.

The move was announced by Saleh Mammadov, the Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan State Agency of Motor Roads.

Azerbaijan’s Aliyev regime, infamous for its involvement in numerous offshore and corruption scandals, is justifying the decision on instituting a toll for motorists using the Varanda-Shushi road with “the need for maintenance of roads," despite the official propaganda having vowed to protect the rights of refugees and "return them to their homeland". 

“Big inflow of foreign tourists is expected in Shushi in the future. That’s why we will institute a toll for that road, so that the collected money is used for its maintenance,” Mammadov announced.

Many Azerbaijanis expressed discontent over the decision online.

“If they continue like this they’ll institute a toll also for air , or they will charge an hourly rate for being in Shushi. Did thousands of boys die for that road to be a toll road? They could’ve found the money in the budget,” one of the Azerbaijani Telegram users said in a post.