Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook page.
“The internationally guaranteed right to water of the residents of the Meghri community in the Syunik Province of the Republic of Armenia is being continuously and seriously violated by the deliberate acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces.
The Human Rights Defender of Armenia has received alarming reports of anger and concern from the residents of the Meghri community that more than 5 years ago, servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces diverted the course of the ‘Zuaraget’ tributary of the ‘Meghri’ river, which is fed from the mountains, towards Nakhichevan (Ordubad district). As a result, serious problems have arisen in the towns of Meghri and Agarak in the Syunik Province, as well as in the villages of Nrnadzor, Shvanidzor and Alvank, related to access to drinking and irrigation water. The majority of the population of the Meghri community lives in these settlements.
In connection with the issue, the head of the Meghri community also provided the Defender with the necessary information, and the delegation headed by the Human Rights Defender received these alarming reports during a visit to the Meghri community in January 2021.
The point is that the drinking and irrigation water of the settlements of the Meghri community has always been provided by the ‘Meghri’ river. The ‘Zuaraget’ or ‘Ayridzur’ tributary originates at an altitude of about 3,500 metres above sea level, on the southeastern slopes of the Zangezur mountains, and then joins the main ‘Meghri’ river. Thanks to snowmelt, from around August of each year the Zuaraget becomes abundant in water, which has always ensured the full supply of drinking and irrigation water for the aforementioned settlements of the Meghri community. Without it, the ‘Meghri’ river provides water supply only from the beginning of each year until the months of June-July, after which the ‘Meghri’ becomes extremely low in water, and in the section of the town of Meghri the river dries up altogether. In this way, serious damage has also been caused to the environment surrounding the Meghri community.
The residents and the head of the Meghri community have informed the Human Rights Defender that Azerbaijani servicemen, using special construction equipment every month, create barriers and thereby divert the course of the tributary towards Nakhichevan.
That is, as a result of these deliberate actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces, serious problems arise every year starting from August for the residents of the towns of Meghri and Agarak and the villages of Nrnadzor, Shvanidzor and Alvank, related to access to drinking and irrigation water.
Moreover, all this is done under the threat of force that is truly dangerous to people’s lives, since the section where the ‘Zuaraget’ tributary of the ‘Meghri’ river originates is under the direct aim of Azerbaijani servicemen and is monitored by them.
By these acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which is to say the authorities, the right to water, which is of vital importance for the residents of the Meghri community of Armenia and is guaranteed by absolute international prohibitions, is grossly violated.
The right to water is internationally guaranteed. This right includes the human right to have sufficient and continuous water for both drinking and domestic purposes (irrigation, sanitation, etc.). Moreover, there must be a safe opportunity to use water and full access to it. This right has exceptional value and lies at the foundation of the preservation of human life, health, dignity and private life, and other rights of vital importance.
This right is so fundamental that the United Nations has declared the right to water and sanitation as a global sustainable development goal, taking into account the fundamental, irreplaceable significance of water for human development and the organisation of life. The UN Secretary-General has characterised this right as a millennium development goal.
The described acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces also grossly violate the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, adopted in Helsinki on 17 March 1992, and other international documents.
At present, the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia is summarising analyses and assessments regarding the continuous serious violation by the Azerbaijani armed forces of the absolutely internationally guaranteed rights of the residents of Armenia, which will be sent to international and, first of all, specialised structures, as well as to the competent bodies of the Republic of Armenia.”
