Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan reports:

“Within the framework of the visit to Hin-Shen community of Shushi region, I had meetings with the head of the community and the residents, got acquainted with their problems.

Before the war, the village had 187 inhabitants, of which only 86 now live permanently in the village. The main obstacle to the return of the villagers and the restoration of normal life in the village is the presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the adjacent hill, which occupies a dominant position over the village.

The base of the Azerbaijani armed forces located on a hill near the village is a direct and undeniable threat to the life, physical and mental integrity of the civilian population of Hin-Shen.

The presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces in those areas poses security obstacles and poses a direct threat to agricultural activities, in particular, the organization of hayfields, use of pastures and maintenance of beehives.

On 29 July and 2 August, 4 large cattle belonging to the residents of Hin-Shen community of Shushi region were stolen. According to the villagers, the animals were illegally taken by the Azerbaijani military serving in the mentioned base. As a result of discussions with law enforcement agencies, I found out that the report of the head of the Shushi administration addressed to the Prosecutor General on the incident has already been sent to the police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Artsakh Republic.

There is no doubt that the relevant bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan must start negotiations with the mediation of Russian peacekeepers to remove the above-mentioned base from the vicinity of the village in order to restore the normal life of the residents, guarantee their rights and security.”