Berdzor residents express distrust of local policemen

In Berdzor, policemen do not wear their service uniforms and weapons and cannot ensure security of the local population, townspeople assert; they demand security guarantees and resumption of work of schools and a kindergarten.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 10, the agreement came into force to end the fighting that had been going on in Nagorno-Karabakh since September 27. Azerbaijan not only kept the positions taken during the escalation of the conflict, but also insisted on transferring a number of other territories under its control. In general, Nagorno-Karabakh lost two-thirds of the territory it controlled until September 27.

The fears of Berdzor residents who would not return to their homes are justified, said Mger Mazmanyan, a local resident. According to his story, the policemen on duty in Berdzor are not armed.

"Law enforcers don't wear uniforms; they have no distinctive signs of power structures agents – of the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE), the police and the National Security Service (NSS) – it provides no feeling of security," Mr Mazmanyan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In his opinion, townspeople need security guarantees at the state level to return to their homes.

Ashkhen Stepanyan, a Berdzor woman, is now in Yerevan, but wants to return to her city, but the absence of the pre-war infrastructure deprives her of any hope for returning. "If there is no police, schools and the kindergarten are not working, how ordinary people can live there?" she has asked.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 9, 2020 at 09:09 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.