The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh published a report on the terrorist act committed by the ambush group of the Azerbaijani armed forces on March 5, 2023.

The report summarizes the facts collected during the fact-finding activities of the staff of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh, obtained from competent state bodies and open sources.

According to the collected facts, a pre-planned terrorist act took place on March 5, at about 10:00 a.m.

The Police car left Stepanakert at about 09:30 a.m. Before, it was parked in front of the administrative building of the Police of the Republic of Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs. The car crew consisted of 4 police officers: Lieutenant Colonel Armen Mayor Babayan, Major Davit Valery Danielyan, Lieutenant Ararat Telman Gasparyan, and Lieutenant Davit Ashot Hovsepyan.

The collected facts clearly show that the car moved from Stepanakert, therefore, Azerbaijan’s statements regarding the transportation of weapons and ammunition from the Republic of Armenia to Artsakh are unfounded and fake. There were only official documents and ordnance weapons of police officers in the car.

After about 30-40 minutes of driving, the car crew noticed stones lined up on the road that hindered traffic. The car stopped.

5 members of the Azerbaijani ambush group came out from behind the stones, dressed in military clothes, wearing masks, armed with machine guns, and pointing the gun barrels at the car.

The driver of the car tried to turn the car back, but at the same moment, the indicated 5 members of the Azerbaijani ambush group in front, as well as 10 more members of the group, which ambushed on the right and left sections of the road, began to fire at the car. The shooting lasted about 10 minutes. An external examination of the car clearly shows that hundreds of bullets were fired in the direction of the car by the Azerbaijanis.

After the fire ceased, three members of the Azerbaijani ambush group approached the car, and allegedly inspected the car, firing control shots in the direction of the driver and the passenger sitting next to him. However, according to the surviving policeman, the Azerbaijanis did not open the rear door of the car, presumably not noticing that there were also passengers there.

Then the members of the Azerbaijani ambush group began to leave the crime scene for their armed bases located on an opposite hill.

During the withdrawal of the Azerbaijanis as a result of the return fire of the Artsakh Defence Army from a combat position near the scene, there were casualties and injuries among the members of the Azerbaijani ambush group.

About 30-40 minutes after the terrorist attack, representatives of the Russian peacekeeping forces arrived at the scene. After their intervention, the fire ceased. After the intervention of the Russian side, the Azerbaijani side continued to retreat, taking with them the dead and wounded members of the Azerbaijani group.

Russian peacekeepers provided first aid to A. Gasparyan and D. Hovsepyan and took them to the hospital.

As a result of the Azerbaijani attack, Lieutenant Colonel, Armen Babayan, and Major Davit Danielyan died on the spot, and Lieutenant Ararat Gasparyan died while being transported to the hospital. Lieutenant Davit Hovsepyan received a gunshot wound in the chest and is in the Republican Medical Center. He underwent surgery and is in the intensive care unit under the supervision of doctors, his life is not in danger.

The report was prepared in open and closed versions in Armenian and English.

It was sent to international organizations and human rights institutions.

The report is available on the official website of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh at the following link: https://artsakhombuds.am/en/document/1000…