SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, December 22. The ecological terror on the territories of Azerbaijan is of great concern to society, so this issue should be put to an end, said the Head of the Baku City Youth and Sports Department, a member of the Azerbaijan Olympic Committee Rafiq Abbasov, 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.
"Azerbaijani specialists were not provided with conditions to monitor the territory where illegal exploitation of minerals takes place. After that, representatives of non-governmental organizations and eco-activists began a peaceful protest and expressed their points of view. The road closure is out of the question because photos and videos are confirming that humanitarian convoys and supply vehicles are moving along this road," he said.
Abbasov noted, that the protests are purely peaceful.
"The participants of the rally demand that conditions be created for Azerbaijani specialists to conduct monitoring. From the point of view of the regulatory framework and international law, Azerbaijan has every right to do this," he added.
The peaceful protests of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) against the inadmissibility of Azerbaijani specialists to the territory, to monitor the illegal exploitation of deposits in the area, have been held near Shusha, close to the post of peacekeepers.
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 but also prevented for the entire process to carry on.