News - Ex-ombudsman: Part of Voskepar villager's house will remain in Armenia, other part will go to Azerbaijan

The issue of borders cannot be separated from people. It is precisely for the safe and secure life of a person, their rights. Arman Tatoyan, the former Human Right Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, wrote this on Facebook. Tatoyan added as follows: “For example, Mr. Samvel Sarukhanyan’s house in Voskepar village will be divided into 2 parts: ‘Azerbaijani’ and ‘Armenian’ in the perspective of mechanical and absolutely unacceptable steps announced by the Government. The summer kitchen of the house and a part of the land next to the house will remain in Armenia, and the house and a part of the land next to the house will go to Azerbaijan. The house where Samvel's wife and daughter live will have to leave. This is not the only case in Tavush [Province of Armenia], other families will face the same problem. For example, Artem Manucharyan's house, the plot and garden next to the house, and the arable land will be completely transferred to Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, they have built and legally owned their house for more than 30 years, cultivated a plot of land, paid taxes and duties, provided servicemen to the Armed Forces. One cannot ignore the environment in which a people live, have lived and created for many years, and created a livelihood. This is exactly what the international border process requires. It is unacceptable to deprive people of their homes and their environments just by a political decision, and then for the sake of political interests and to hide own mistakes, justify that they will give people other houses in other places. In Syunik and Gegharkunik [Provinces of Armenia], the security of communities and roads has been already destroyed by using GPS or Google map and other impermissible methods, deprived people of the opportunity to earn income for their families, and destroyed the environment in which they live. The same situation threatens Tavush now.”