As a result of the 44-day war, the entry and exit of citizens to the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan is regulated by the Azerbaijani legislation, therefore the movement of the “activists” who illegally blocked the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia could not be without the permission of the Azerbaijani authorities. This is evidenced by the Center for Law and Justice “Tatoyan” Foundation studies, which revealed the decree of the Azerbaijani President signed on October 29, 2020.
It is noteworthy that, according to the Azerbaijani legislation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs grants permission to enter the territories of Artsakh, under the control of Azerbaijan, based on a citizen’s application (written or electronic).
Studies reveal that citizens can apply for a permission only within the framework of specific visits organized by the state and mainly those citizens (mostly state and cultural figures, journalists) who are informed in advance about being included in the given visit.
In other words, neither an official nor a citizen who is not a public figure can freely enter or freely move through the said areas at their discretion.
Monitoring of the Azerbaijani press and social networks confirms that there is currently a practice of selectively issuing permits in Azerbaijan, and this policy has caused dissatisfaction inside Azerbaijan itself.
According to media and social networks, many citizens of Azerbaijan complain that only participants of state organized events can receive permission, and for private visits, access is allowed only to close-to-government circles.
For example, in February 2021, 6 residents of the Aghjabad region of the Republic of Azerbaijan went to Fizuli and Hadrut, after which they were stopped by the police. As the Azerbaijani section of BBC News notes, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan informed them that studies are being conducted or an investigation is being conducted to give a legal assessment of the actions of these people.
This justifies once again that since December 12, 2022 the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world is illegally blocked by so-called self-proclaimed “eco-activists” in reality are the agents of the Azerbaijani Government; this is confirmed by credible evidence (See also these facts: ). These people are used as tools for the Azerbaijani authorities’ ethnic cleansing policies.
