Azerbaijani protesters not leaving until their demands met - participant of protests near Shusha
By Trend
Azerbaijani protesters are not going to leave until they receive a clear answer to their demands, said Chairman of the Environmental Public Council of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Amin Mammadov, who is part of the protesting crowd, Trend reports from the scene.
Azerbaijanis continue protests near the post of the Russian peacekeepers (temporarily stationed in the area) near Shusha.
Mammadov reminded that last week, on Friday, about 30 NGOs engaged in environmental protection, signed an appeal and forwarded it to the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan.
"The appeal is addressed to the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. In this appeal, we demand from General Volkov to create conditions for our environmentalists to conduct monitoring at the 'Gizilbulagh' and 'Damirli' fields, to study the consequences of illegal exploitation of these fields for the environment. Unfortunately, when Azerbaijani specialists accompanied by Russian peacekeepers arrived in these territories, they were prevented by the separatists, while the peacekeepers did not take any action," said Mammadov.
"Therefore, we decided to come here. We have been here since yesterday morning. They blocked the roadblock. We began to chant our requirements and slogans such as "No to environmental terror", and "Stop the illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources". Yesterday we also demanded the presence of General Volkov to answer our questions," he added.
"His deputy for political affairs, Colonel Kovalchuk, promised us that Volkov has been informed, and should arrive in the several hours. But it's already the second day, and he didn't come, thereby framing his subordinates. It is strange that he does not get in touch with representatives of the Azerbaijani public. We are not going to retreat, we have specific requirements. We are not going to stop this protest until we receive a clear answer," he said.
Representatives of Azerbaijan's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are protesting near Shusha, close to the post of Russian peacekeepers, who are temporarily stationed in the area. The action is being held against the inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to monitor the illegal exploitation of deposits in the area.
Previously, following the negotiations with the Russian peacekeepers' command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Property Service under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold CJSC on December 10, was going to begin the preliminary monitoring in accordance with the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits, as well as the emerging environmental and other consequences of this on the territory of Azerbaijan.
It was planned to inspect the environmental conditions at the 'Gizilbulagh' gold deposit and the 'Damirli' copper-molybdenum deposit, monitor various areas, organize cadastral property records, assess potential risks and threats to the environment, as well as to underground and surface water sources.
However, despite the group's arrival, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, in the monitoring area, it faced provocations. The planned initial inspection and monitoring did not take place due to the fact that the Russian peacekeepers not only did not create necessary conditions and prevented for the entire process to carry on.
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