Azerbaijan is illegally constructing and fortifying its positions in the immediate vicinity of Jermuk town in the Vayots Dzor Province on territory it has occupied following the large-scale attack on Armenia’s sovereign territory, former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said during a press conference on Thursday.

Tatoyan released photos from the construction, fortification efforts carried out by the Azerbaijani forces in the occupied territory of Armenia, warned that studies conducted by his Tatoyan Foundation in the Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces clearly indicate that Armenia is facing serious problems related to Azerbaijan’s incursions and presence near and on the roads in villages in those areas.

Arman Tatoyan presents evidence of Azerbaijan efforts to fortify positions on Armenia’s sovereign territory

“The Azerbaijani actions suggests that they have no plans to leave Armenia. Azerbaijan is conducting illegal construction and fortification works in the immediate vicinity of Jermuk, in the occupied territories of Armenia, they are constructing military roads, positions and bunkers,” Tatoyan said, adding that the road that has been constructed is 10 to 12 kilometers (6 to 8 miles) long.

Tatoyan said the problems resulting from the latest Azerbaijani aggression not only relate to protection of human rights, but also Armenia’s national security, since not only villages, but also the hydro-electric plants in Tatev and Jermuk, as well as the Kapan reservoir and other strategic facilities have become targets of Azerbaijan.

Areas occupied Azerbaijan as registered by Arman Tatoyan’s fact-finding mission

In fact, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, during a threat-filled speech on Tuesday, admitted that his country’s forces have now occupied strategic elevated areas and hills in Armenia, with Tatev, Jermuk, Lake Sevan, Kapan and Goris in clear view of Azerbaijani forces.

Joining Arman Tatoyan on a fact-finding mission are U.S.-based attorneys Garo Ghazarian and Karnig Kerkonian

During his presentation, Tatoyan emphasized the need for creating a security zone—a concept he introduced and pushed while serving as Armenia’s Human Rights Defender. He emphasized that by utilizing facts international mechanisms must be used to create the said security zones.

“These security zones are also called safe zones, salvation zones, defense zones, and their essence is that if there is an armed conflict or a danger of an armed attack on the residents, the conflicting countries must neutralize the armed forces there so that people can live unharmed,” explained Tatoyan.

“The International Committee of Red Cross has explained that it is necessary to ensure the people’s rights to owning property, security and that they are not subjected to torture,” Tatoyan added.

Commenting on the current activity of the EU monitors along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Tatoyan said that he considers all international missions a very important step.

“I have always raised the issue of international monitors. When I visited the provinces and saw the conditions, I said at that time that international observers are needed. For our part, I want to state that we will send share the fact-finding activities carried out by our team to both the EU monitoring mission and the OSCE observer mission and will ask them to take them into consideration,” he explained.

Tatoyan said in a Facebook post on Thursday that his fact-finding team included U.S.-based attorneys Garo Ghazarian and Karnig Kerkonian.