By Mariam Levina

Azerbaijan has shamelessly violated the arrangement with the Russian peacekeeping contingent regarding the transfer of women and children from Goris to Stepanakert. This was stated by David Babayan, adviser and representative-at large of the Artsakh president, commenting—at the request of Armenian News-NEWS.am—on the incident that happened Tuesday, when the Azerbaijani military did not allow a group of children and women going to Artsakh to pass through the Lachin corridor.

"There was an arrangement between the Russian peacekeeping contingent and Azerbaijan on relocation. But, in fact, what kind of arrangement can we talk about with Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan, at any convenient moment, ‘forgets’ about the given promise,” Babayan stated.

He confirmed that the aforesaid relocation was not allowed by the Azerbaijani military, and not but by the Azerbaijanis calling themselves “environmentalists.”

"That is, it’s already not about environmentalists at all—albeit you wouldn't call them ‘environmentalists’ either. A lot has been said and written about it, they have nothing to do with environmental protection; they are military, special services employees, and just criminals who were hired to participate in the blockade [of Artsakh]. Shamelessly, bypassing all the agreements, norms and principles of international law, they did what they did," continued Babayan.

The Azerbaijani military have not explained their abovementioned action in any way.

‘"We do what we want,’ [they say]. All the more so that they operate in a climate of absolute impunity, including from the international community," concluded the adviser to the Artsakh president.