Harutyunyan: Armenians were resettled in Lachin and Kalbajar later

On June 23, during the trial that continued at the Baku Military Court, the defendant Arayik Harutyunyan, answering questions from prosecutors, confirmed that people brought from Syria and Lebanon were resettled in the previously occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Report informs that he said some of the Armenian citizens living in the border regions with Azerbaijan - the Gorus and Gafan districts of Armenia - came to the occupied Zangilan, Gubadli and Lachin districts and settled there, adding:

"Because in those territories, there were great opportunities for activity, especially in the agricultural sector. The resettled people were mainly engaged in agriculture. You know the geography of the Syunik region. There are not many opportunities for agriculture there. In the Zangilan, Gubadli and Lachin districts, there were more opportunities in this area."

Harutyunyan said that those from Armenia were not particularly encouraged to settle compared to those from other countries: "We did not hinder them. They chose where they wanted to live and what they wanted to do." He confirmed that people of Armenian nationality were also settled in the Lachin and Kalbajar districts later: "This happened later. Previously, Armenians did not live in Lachin. As far as I know, the same situation was in the Kalbajar district."