Day 113: Round-the-clock vigil of Azerbaijani eco-activists on Lachin road underway

Today marks the 113th day of the protests of the Azerbaijani eco-activists and NGO representatives on the Khankandi-Lachin road against the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the Karabakh economic region of the country by local separatists in concert with Armenia and foreign companies.

The major demand of the ongoing vigil is to have unhindered access to the mineral deposits in areas under the Russian peacekeepers’ temporary control to monitor the impact of the illicit exploitation on the nature and environment.

The participants in the protest on the major road in Karabakh are determined to have their demands honored and many of them have already been met thanks to the displayed firm will and perseverance.

As usual, on daily basis, youth volunteers and representatives of NGOs chant slogans, such as "Azerbaijan is the owner of its mineral resources!", "End environmental crimes!", "Stop eco-terror!", "Protect nature!", "No to ecocide! Yes to monitoring."

At the same time, nearly 100 and sometimes more vehicles and cars pass freely the venue where the Azerbaijani young men and women are standing to let those going against Azerbaijani laws realize that the sole owners of this land are Azerbaijanis and will always be so.

In the meantime, foreign media representatives visited the venue to see the developments on the scene.

While in Shusha, UK correspondent Aleksandar Eror and Serbian photographer Nemanja Knezevic, visited the venue of the protests and once again witnessed that the road is open for humanitarian purposes and transport means to travel in both directions freely. The protesters filled the guests in on the reasons behind the protest, goals, and their demands.

Note: Following numerous failures, on December 12, 2020, a group of Azerbaijani eco-activists took to the streets in protest at the inactivity of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and their failure to cope with their duties. Since then, the eco-activists have been in the area preventing the plunder of natural resources and transportation of them to Armenia under the eyes of the so-called peacekeepers.

The demands with which the Azerbaijani eco-activists have been on the venue remain unchanged and the situation has already gained international recognition with mixed reactions. Nevertheless, despite cold and constantly changing weather conditions, the protest on the Khankandi-Lachin road against the illegal exploitation of mineral deposits in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan continues and will go ahead without any doubts as the major demands of the Azerbaijani protesters have not been honored.