Artsakh Ombudsman publishes updated version of report on cases of killing of civilians by Azerbaijani forces

The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic published an updated version of the report on the cases of the killing of civilians in Artsakh by the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the Office of the Ombudsman said.

The report summarizes the data collected as a result of fact-finding work of the Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman’s staff from September 27, 2020 to September 27, 2021 on the civilian killings by Azerbaijani armed forces either by targeted strikes or after their invasion of the civilian settlements of Artsakh. Only the cases proved on indisputable grounds are presented. The report provides a brief description on the circumstances of the killing of each civilian.

According to the data collected till September 27, 2021, the identities of 80 civilians killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces were revealed. 42 civilians were killed from long-range strikes by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including rocket-propelled grenades, shelling, bombardment, and sabotage by subversive groups. 38 civilians were killed in captivity or at least under the control of Azerbaijan from physical violence, stabbing, beheading, close-range shooting and other direct means. Out of 80 civilian victims, 68 are men and 12 are women. 52 civilians were killed at the place of residence, 15 at the public place, 11 at the place of work, 1 person in the Azerbaijani prison. The majority of civilian victims are people over 63 years old.

The Human Rights Ombudsman also recorded the cases of 163 civilian injuries, most of which resulted from strikes that resulted in the deaths of others. The fate of two dozen civilians from the territories occupied by Azerbaijan remains unknown.

The report was prepared in a closed and public version. The closed report adds many photos of the victims before and after their deaths. The public report was prepared without photos, taking into account the cruel and sensitive images in them.