American journalist horrified by Armenian vandalism

The events that have taken place in the Karabakh region are a crime against humanity, US journalist, Schirach Report news agency founder and editor-in-chief Paolo von Schirach said.

He made the remarks after his recent trip to Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, Report informs.

The American journalist noted that the mines buried by Armenia in the region are a bitter reality that testifies to the continuation of aggression.

He also stressed that he was horrified by the acts of terrorism and vandalism committed by Armenia on historical Azerbaijani lands.

"Driving along the road with a group of American journalists in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, it was truly frightening to see completely destroyed villages and settlements. One gets the impression that these houses were abandoned thousands of years ago. The people who were forced to leave their homes had also lost their memories, dreams, in short, everything. On the one hand, I have seen cities that have been destroyed, and on the other hand, settlements that are being rebuilt, where life is returning. The large-scale efforts of the Azerbaijani government to restore and reconstruct are commendable," Schirach said.

The journalist spoke about his observations in the region regarding the mine threat, one of the biggest problems Azerbaijan has faced since the Second Karabakh War.

"Hundreds of thousands of mines that cause loss of life are unfortunately a terrible legacy of the Armenian occupation. Armenia contaminated these territories, which it kept under occupation for decades, with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Another important nuance is that the Government of Armenia refuses to provide the mine maps. Unfortunately, demining is an expensive and labour-intensive process. During our visit to the region, we observed mine detonation by experts from the Azerbaijani Mine Action Agency [ANAMA],” he added.

“I also learnt that Armenia had buried several mines one on top of the other in order to increase their power. I am scared to even imagine what would happen after the explosion of such a plant. It is extremely dangerous to move in these territories without maps showing the exact location of the mines, and the Azerbaijani side is trying to clear the region by checking every metre of land. It is evident that Azerbaijan has formed a very skilful team specialised in this field.

The mines planted by Armenia in Karabakh are a bitter reality that shows that military aggression is still ongoing. The hostilities have ended, Armenians have left the region, but their mines are still here and continue to kill," von Schirach emphasised.

The journalist added that he will tell the American media about what he has seen.

"As a person who closely follows the developments between Azerbaijan and Armenia, I can unequivocally admit that the situation in the region is deplorable. The visit to Azerbaijan revealed a different picture for me," he added.