Armenian Village of Nerkin Hand Trapped by Azerbaijani Forces, Facing Environmental Destruction

Arman Tatoyan, the former Human Rights Defender of Armenia, along with his team at the Tatoyan Foundation, has once again shed light on the serious violations being committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Armenia. In a recent report, Tatoyan and his team documented additional crimes in the village of Nerkin Hand, which lies in Armenia’s Kapan region. Surrounded by Azerbaijani armed forces on three sides, the village and its residents face ongoing hardships, environmental destruction, and threats to their safety.

Nerkin Hand, a small village in southern Armenia, is now trapped between more than 25 Azerbaijani armed positions, many of which are located within Armenia’s sovereign territory. In fact, over 2,700 hectares of Armenian land are currently occupied by Azerbaijan in this area. The village has become a symbol of the ongoing aggression and territorial encroachments by Azerbaijan.

What’s especially alarming is how close these Azerbaijani military positions are to civilian areas. Some of the armed positions are just over 500 meters away from civilian houses. In one shocking example, the distance between an Azerbaijani military position and the village’s school is a mere 769 meters. This proximity places the villagers, including children, in constant danger, living under the shadow of hostile forces.

The village cemetery has also been occupied, with one Azerbaijani position only 81 meters away. The river Tsav, which is crucial for the village’s water supply, has Azerbaijani forces stationed as close as 15 meters away. These facts paint a clear picture of how isolated and vulnerable Nerkin Hand has become due to these unlawful armed positions.

The crimes committed by Azerbaijan are not limited to the military threats posed to the villagers. Environmental destruction is another serious concern. Tatoyan's team reports the illegal felling of over 10,000 trees and the destruction of hundreds of wild animals in the Shikahogh State Reserve, an important ecological area in Armenia’s Syunik province. Azerbaijani forces have built military roads and constructed new positions in this protected area, causing severe harm to the local environment.

This environmental devastation is especially hypocritical considering that Azerbaijan is set to host COP29, an international event focused on environmental protection. While Azerbaijan presents itself as environmentally conscious on the world stage, it is simultaneously causing irreversible damage to Armenia’s natural heritage. Tatoyan stresses that these crimes against nature, as well as the ongoing violations against the people of Nerkin Hand, must be exposed to the world.

Adding to the dangers faced by the people of Nerkin Hand is the widespread placement of landmines by Azerbaijani forces. Anti-personnel mines such as the OZM-72 and PMN-2, as well as anti-tank mines like the TM-57, have been placed perilously close to the village. These mines pose a deadly threat to civilians, making daily life even more dangerous for residents.

The OZM-72 mine, for instance, is designed to detonate when a person steps on a tripwire, causing an explosion up to 90 cm above the ground with a destruction radius of 25 meters. The PMN-2, another anti-personnel mine, can severely injure anyone who steps on it. These mines are installed as close as 10 meters to some Azerbaijani positions, further intensifying the danger to the people of Nerkin Hand.

Tatoyan emphasizes that the crimes being committed by Azerbaijan in Nerkin Hand must be brought to the attention of the international community. The villagers are not only being deprived of their security, but also their basic rights to live peacefully on their own land. The destruction of Armenia’s environment, coupled with the threat posed by landmines and Azerbaijani armed forces, calls for urgent action and condemnation on global platforms.