Azernews.Az

On the straight 19th day of the picket of Azerbaijani eco-activists under Shusha in protest at the illegal exploitation of mineral resources, the number of protesters is on the rise, Azernews reports.

The pickets do not intend to leave the area and are again going to spend the night in tents at the venue.

Previously, following the talks 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 were going to begin preliminary monitoring of the illicit mineral resource exploitation, as well as emerging environmental implications on Azerbaijani lands, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed.

The expert team was expected to inspect the environmental condition 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 underground and surface water sources.

However, when arriving in the monitoring area, the expert group, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, faced provocations. The planned initial inspection and monitoring did not take place due to the fact that the Russian peacekeepers not only did create necessary conditions and prevented for the entire process to carry on.

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