YEREVAN, December 7. /ARKA/ Providing a large number of people (volunteers and reservists) with various types of weapons and ammunition to join the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh to defend it from the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression has created a serious threat after the end of hostilities, Armenian Office of Prosecutor General said in a statement today.
It said this is evidenced by numerous cases of illegal transportation of weapons and ammunition from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Armenia and dozens of initiated criminal cases.
“The events taking place in Armenia after the end of hostilities, a number of crimes and the statements made during public speeches, including at the December 5 opposition rally in Yerevan, seasoned with arguments in favor of certain actions are creating risks of crimes with illegal use of weapons, as well as the threat to the protection of the life and health of citizens, including those participating in mass events,” the statement said.
Proceeding from this, Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan sent letters to the Director of the National Security Service (NSS) and the Chief of the Police on Monday with a request to immediately take measures to prevent and identify cases of illegal arms trafficking, the likelihood of crimes with their use, as well as to intensify the work in this direction.
“At the same time, we once again urge the citizens of Armenia to refrain from committing or participating in any of the above-mentioned possible criminal acts, acts of violence or calls for violence. Otherwise, everyone who commits criminal acts will be prosecuted with the full severity of the law,” the statement said.
From September 27 to November 9 2020 Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line, using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons.
On November 9, the leaders of the Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities in Artsakh. According to the document, the parties stopped at where they were at that time. The town of Shushi, the districts of Aghdam, Kelbajar and Lachin are handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
A 2000-member Russian peacekeeping contingent has been deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. Internally displaced persons and refugees are returning to Karabakh and adjacent regions, prisoners of war, hostages and other detained persons and bodies of the dead are being exchanged.