BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 13. Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) responded, using social media, Human Right Watch, and Amnesty International accusing Azerbaijan of allegedly blocking the Lachin-Khankendi road, Trend reports.
"The road is open, and the holding of a peaceful rally doesn't impose any restrictions on the movement of vehicles for humanitarian purposes. The participants of the rally create conditions for the unhindered passage of supply vehicles to provide residents of Armenian origin living in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan with necessary food products, passenger vehicles, and emergency medical care, as well as for the free passage of vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross along the Lachin-Khankendi road,” the NGOs noted.
At the same time, the NGOs brought to the attention of Human Right Watch and Amnesty International the fact of illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources by Armenians, which is neglected by international organizations, and called on them to protest this fact.
The peaceful protest on the Lachin-Khankendi road against the illicit exploitation of Azerbaijan's mineral resources in the area of Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment has been going on for over a month.
Previously, following the talks with the Russian peacekeepers' command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Property Service under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold CJSC were going to begin preliminary monitoring of the illicit mineral resource exploitation, as well as emerging environmental implications on Azerbaijani lands, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed, on December 10, 2022.
The expert team was expected to inspect the environmental condition at the 'Gizilbulagh' gold deposit and the 'Damirli' copper-molybdenum deposit, monitor various areas, organize cadastral property records, assess potential risks and threats to the environment, as well as to underground and surface water sources.
However, when arriving in the monitoring area, the expert group, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, faced provocations. The planned initial inspection and monitoring did not take place due to the fact that the Russian peacekeepers not only did not create necessary conditions but also prevented for the entire process to carry on.