The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh issued a comment regarding the targeting of the civilian population of Artsakh by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, considering it necessary to take decisive and urgent measures by the UN Security Council against the background of the genocidal policy conducted by Azerbaijan at the state level. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh.

"On March 22, the armed forces of Azerbaijan, once again violating the ceasefire regime, opened fire at the civilians carrying out agricultural work in the administrative area of Chartar town of Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh. This is the third case of targeting civilians by Azerbaijan within a week.

It should be reminded that on March 15, Azerbaijani combat positions opened fire with rifle weapons on the villagers working in the vineyards near the Amaras Valley of Martuni region, and on March 19, on a citizen doing agricultural work with a tractor in the administrative area of Taghavard village.

It is obvious that such attacks, which have become frequent recently, are part of Azerbaijan's long-term and consistent policy and are aimed at creating unbearable living conditions in Artsakh, harming the country's economy, and exerting psychological pressure on Artsakh Armenians. Within the framework of this policy, for more than 100 days, Artsakh has been under a blockade organized by the authorities of Azerbaijan, as a result of which the import of food, medicine, and other vital goods into the republic has been reduced to a minimum, the freedom of movement of the people of Artsakh, proper medical care, education, and other fundamental rights. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side regularly blocks the gas supply to Artsakh and obstructs the works to eliminate the accident of the high-voltage power line coming from Armenia, depriving the people of Artsakh of basic living conditions. In the conditions of the difficult humanitarian situation in Artsakh, the demonstrations of the so-called "eco-activists" are accompanied by music, dances, fireworks, alcohol, and parties, which resemble a celebration of hatred, to mark the illegal and inhumane blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan and the suffering of 120 thousand people.

By targeting the citizens doing agricultural work, the Azerbaijani side is trying to prevent the people of Artsakh from at least to some extent alleviating the serious problems of lack of food caused by the blockade.

Azerbaijan strives at any cost to break the will of the people of Artsakh to live freely in their own land, not even shrinking from terrorist acts, such as the sabotage attack of March 5, during which 3 employees of the Armenian police were killed and one was seriously injured. Clearly nationalist, Armenian-hating, and inhumane calls are regularly made by both the country's top leadership and ordinary citizens. The latest such example is the recently widely circulated video in the Azerbaijani media, in which one of the "environmentalists" who blocked the Lachin Corridor literally threatens to slaughter Armenians on the occasion of Nowruz with the permission of Azerbaijan.

On the background of the genocidal policy conducted by Azerbaijan at the state level, we consider it necessary for the UN Security Council to take decisive and urgent measures aimed at ensuring the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh and preventing the genocidal intentions of Azerbaijan. We are convinced that the best and most effective way to save the people of Artsakh from ethnic cleansing and genocide is to recognize their right to self-determination and establish it as a basis for conflict settlement," the statement reads.