On June 15, Human Rights Defender of Armenia Anahit Manasyan visited the village of Yeraskh Ararat, Ararat region, to collect facts and evidence confirming human rights violations due to the aggression of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on June 13-14, meet with residents and get acquainted with their concerns.

The first stop was the territory of the metallurgical plant under construction in Yeraskh, where the Ombudsman met with the management of the plant and the citizens of Armenia and India involved in the construction work. About 130 Armenians and 70 Indians work at the plant. They provided the defender with detailed information about how the Azerbaijani servicemen conducted intensive fire on the plant on the evening of June 13 for more than an hour and a half. At that time, active construction work was carried out on the territory of the plant, but because of the shooting, work was forced to stop. As a result of shelling, newly built columns, walls, a fence, an administrative building of the plant, as well as equipment involved in construction work were damaged. The employees reported that on that day the shooting was carried out from weapons of various calibers, the shooting was targeted.

The next day, on the morning of June 14, the active construction work of the plant resumed. Meanwhile, at 11 a.m., the Azerbaijani armed forces again fired on the workers and equipment. At the same time, people noted that the shots were from sniper rifles, since they were more targeted. It was as a result of these shots that two Indian citizens working on the construction of the plant received shrapnel wounds.

The director of the Yeraskha secondary school said that 129 students study at the school. The school is located about 300-400 meters from the nearest Azerbaijani combat position. According to the director of the school, on the morning of June 14, during the exam, shelling began. Given the concern of the children and teachers due to the intensity of the shots and their loud sound, the exam was suspended ahead of schedule, after which the teachers and children were evacuated.

The Defender also visited the medical center of Ararat, where she visited two Indian citizens wounded by Azerbaijani shots – Mohammad Asif and Mirhasan Sahajan. On the morning of June 14, having been injured, they were immediately taken to the medical center and operated on.

The Ombudsman states that there is a lot of irrefutable evidence that Azerbaijani soldiers were aiming directly at civilians and infrastructure. Such behavior of Azerbaijan violates the norms of international law.

The Ombudsman documented in detail the human rights violations due to the aggression of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Yeraskh. They will be presented to international organizations and actors.