Artsakh takes countermeasures in response to Azerbaijan’s ‘black list’

Artsakh takes countermeasures in response to Azerbaijan’s the socalled ‘black list’, Ombudsman of Artsakh Ruben Melikyan told a press conference in Armenpress on May 6.

“When Azerbaijan announced criminal prosecutions against people who visited Artsakh, in addition to the MEPs, it also included the Azokh expedition group members. This is unacceptable for us, currently we are making examinations on this path. We are going to be actively engaged in this issue in near future.

We believe that the so-called ‘black list’ is itself an impermissible activity. This limits certain rights since many famous professors, doctors will not visit Artsakh given the fact that they will be included in the ‘black list’.

On the other hand, this is also a restriction of freedom of speech, a vivid example is arrested blogger Lapshin’s case,” the Artsakh Ombudsman said. He said Artsakh looks at this phenomenon with open eyes and takes countermeasures.

Currently the group of specialists deals with that ‘black list’. As for the level of relations with the international community, Melikyan said it is not enough for them.

“By refusing to enter Artsakh, those prominent international structures in fact support the stance of one of the conicting sides rather than maintain neutrality. We will try to change this situation. The situation of today, consciously or not, is a support to the Azerbaijani stance,” Ruben Melikyan said.