Azerbaijan Refuses to Return Armenian Shepherd's Sheep

Azerbaijani authorities have attempted to erase the traces of sheep stolen from an Armenian shepherd, removing the sheep from the area with special vehicles to prevent them from being found.

Recall that on January 13, Azerbaijani forces kidnapped 53-year-old Surik Matevosyan, a shepherd from the Tegh community in Syunik Province, along with his sheep. The shepherd was later returned to the Armenian side through Russian mediation, yet Azerbaijan continues to refuse to return the sheep.

In an interview with Factinfo, Tegh community leader David Ghulunts stated that negotiations have yielded no results, expressing doubt that the sheep will be returned. “They say the sheep do not exist, they have never existed. I was informed from Lachin that vehicles were brought to load and take away the sheep, to lose their trace so they cannot be found again,” said the community leader.

David Ghulunts also indicated that they plan to send a letter to the regional governor’s office requesting compensation for the shepherd. “We thought we would wait one more week; if there is no information, we will send a letter to the governor’s office to provide compensation to the shepherd for the damage incurred,” the community leader stated.