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Lena Sahakyan

Armen Ghazaryan

Artsakh 2023: Civilians Killed in Azerbaijani Offensive 

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack on Nagorno Karabakh following a nine-month blockade of the region. Civilian settlements in Artsakh were targeted alongside military positions, resulting in 223 deaths, including 20 civilians, six of whom were minors.

Sarnaghbyur: Nver and Mikayel Ghazaryan

The Ghazaryan family hails from the village of Sarnaghbyur in Karabagh’s Askeran district. On the day of the Azerbaijani attack, Zarine Ghazaryan was in Askeran while her four sons remained in the village. Zarine's husband, Rudik, was on military duty.

"We were told that the Russians, with the help of Armenians, had brought some food, so we went to buy some," Zarine recalls.

Upon reaching Askeran, Zarine's mother-in-law called, warning her that the war had started. "I called the village mayor and asked him to evacuate the children, but he reassured me that it was just an overreaction and there was nothing to worry about," says Zarine Ghazaryan.

When they  reached Askeran, Zarine’s mother-in-law  called and informed them that a war had started. “I called the village mayor and told him ‘Garik, a war has started, evacuate the kids from the village’, but he assured me that it was just a case of panic and that nothing was happening” says Zarine Ghazaryan. 

Nver (8) and Mikayel (10) were sent home from  school. Their brother, Seyran (5) was in their house, while their youngest brother, Karen was in the house of one of their relatives. The head of the village urged everyone to go and try to take shelter in the valley, near his house.

“When they were taken to the valley, the attack started. Mikayel was the first to die, then the village mayor’s son Davit, and later, Nver,” Zarine recalls, teary-eyed. The village mayor’s father, Aleksandr Aleksanyan, and his mother-in-law, Gohar Grigoryan, were also killed. Another fifteen people were injured in the valley.

The village mayor transported the injured in his car, taking them first to Askeran and then to Stepanakert. Among the wounded was Zarine’s 5-year-old son, Seyran. “When Seyran was brought to the hospital, his head was cut open, with fragments of the rocket lodged in his brain. They operated on him in Stepanakert. The doctors told me they weren’t sure if they could save his life,” she recalls.

Seyran Ghazaryan's life was saved, but the child continues to suffer from severe health issues. Due to the fragments in his head, his vision is deteriorating, and he experiences constant headaches. The family is in need of a significant amount of money for his full treatment.

Nver and Mikayel were buried in the Masis town cemetery. Their bodies were recovered from Sarnaghbyur with the help of the Red Cross on September 23.

Gor Arustamyan

On the morning of September 19, 2023, nine-year-old Gor Arustamyan went to school as usual in the Artsakh capital Stepanakert.

On his way back home, a rocket exploded several hundred meters away causing the boy to die from a sudden heart attack.

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Eduard Janyan

Eduard Janyan (79) lived in Stepanakert. On September 20, 2023, as rumors spread that Azerbaijani forces were attacking military posts near the village of Harav, Eduard grew anxious for his grandson, who was serving in the military. With no news about him, Eduard decided to travel to Harav.

On the return trip to Stepanakert, Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire on the car belonging to Eduard’s granddaughter’s husband, Mher Hovhannisyan. Eduard’s relative, Vitali Hambardzumyan, was also in the car. Vitali was wounded in the arm, while Mher sustained severe injuries and had to leap out of the car. He barely managed to reach the special forces, who then transported him to the city.

"On September 20, my grandpa came to find me. I saw a flashlight and heard him calling my name. I left the basement when I heard his voice and saw him. That was the last time I saw him. It felt like he had come to say goodbye. He asked me to bring my children so he could see them too," recalls Gayane Khachatryan.

At the time of the incident, Gayane was in the basement of Stepanakert's city council building.

Eduard Janyan had three children—two daughters and a son. His son was killed in 1994 during the First Artsakh War. After his son’s death, Eduard assumed the responsibility of raising his grandchildren.

"My grandpa was like a father to us," says Gayane.

Eduard’s body remained in the car for two days before he was buried in Stepanakert. His family wants to move his body to Armenia, but as of today, that has not been possible.

Armen Martirosyan

Armen Martirosyan was from the village of Charektar in Karabagh’s Shahumyan district and had worked for many years as a history teacher at the village school.

After the 44-day war in 2020, Charektar became uninhabited, and Armen moved to his older brother Samvel Martirosyan’s house in Getavan.

“On September 19, when the war broke out, he was in the village and stayed there until the end,” recalls Samvel Martirosyan.

Getavan was very close to the border, making it dangerous for civilians. Armen helped evacuate his fellow villagers. “We had young children in the house, and he made sure they all got to Stepanakert while he stayed behind. There was no phone connection in the village, so we couldn’t warn him to leave,” Samvel explains.

Armen’s older brother, Pavel Martirosyan, was killed in the First Artsakh War. In Getavan, there was a monument dedicated to him and the other martyrs. When Azerbaijani soldiers entered the village and attempted to destroy the monument, Armen tried to stop them but was killed in the process.

After being evacuated to Stepanakert, Armen’s other brother, Hayk Martirosyan, learned about his death through acquaintances of a Russian military medic. The medic informed them that Russian peacekeepers had taken Armen’s body to their base and later handed it over to soldiers from the Haterk military unit, who buried him near their post.

Armen Martirosyan’s family does not know the exact date of his death. He was 51 years-old and had a son and a daughter.

Armen Harutyunyan

“He died without knowing if we were saved or not. We were saved, but I am only half  a person without him. I couldn’t attend his funeral or visit his grave,” says Anush Harutyunyan, the wife of Armen Harutyunyan, who lost his life in his hometown, Matchkalashen.

Anush last saw her husband on the morning of September 19, before leaving for work. Once the Azerbaijani attack began, she lost all contact with him.

As the shelling intensified, Anush left the village with her pregnant daughter-in-law, Lusine, and her grandchildren. Their home was at the edge of the village, close to the border with Azerbaijan, making it impossible to take their car, so they fled on foot. Anush put Lusine and the grandchildren into a passing car but stayed behind to walk with some neighbors.

After a long journey on foot, they were eventually picked up by a car and taken to the neighboring village of Kolkhozashen, where Anush reunited with Lusine, the grandchildren, and other villagers. After days of searching, she finally learned the details of her husband’s death.

“I was told that he was talking to someone at the edge of the village when an explosion occurred nearby. Afterward, he headed toward the military post called 'Lusnyak,' thinking he could help.”

Armen Harutyunyan was not in military service and had no weapon. He worked for Karabakh Telecom.  According to Anush, Lusnyak was a sacred site for the people of Sos village.

“He had a strong belief in the Lusnyak holy site. He would always pray for our grandchild there,” Anush adds.

Armen’s body was taken to Martuni Hospital along with the bodies of soldiers. On the night of September 22, his body was transported back to Matchkalashen, where his friends and son buried him in the village cemetery. Anush has not been able to visit her husband’s grave.

“At 53, he had already survived three wars. Sadly, he couldn’t survive the fourth one,” says Anush, tears streaming down her face.

Armen and Anush had three children: two sons and a daughter.

On September 25, when the fuel depot in Stepanakert exploded, Armen Harutyunyan’s family was in the city. That same evening, they learned that their 8-month-old grandchild, who had been evacuated to Armenia with the help of the Red Cross during the blockade, had passed away.

In Armenia, Armen’s family was contacted by representatives from Artsakh, who instructed them to submit an application to transfer his body to Armenia. His younger son filled out the necessary paperwork, but Armen’s body has still not been moved to Armenia.

Shabo Grigoryan

Shabo Grigoryan, 73, was from the village of Sarushen in Askeran. On September 19, as the Azerbaijani attack unfolded, the village’s civilian population took refuge in basements.

“When the situation worsened, the village head urged us to go to the stadium on the edge of the village to take cover,” recalls Shabo Grigoryan’s daughter-in-law, Irina.

As military actions escalated, the men in the village went to defend the frontline posts, leaving behind  women, children, and the elderly. When it became too dangerous to remain, they decided to flee to the neighboring village of Msmna through the woods.

“The villagers had already headed to Msmna, so Shabo went to bring a car for us. He wanted to transport the women and children, as he said they couldn’t walk that far,” Irina explains.

Shabo took his car and drove toward the villagers via the road leading to Khachmach. However, the Khachmach crossroads were already under Azerbaijani control, and when he reached the area, Azerbaijani forces opened fire. Shabo Grigoryan was killed instantly.

His body was recovered two days later, on September 21. After a temporary halt in the fighting, the village mayor, Karen Gasparyan, accompanied by Russian and Azerbaijani soldiers, went to the village and retrieved the bodies of the fallen.

Shabo’s body was transported to Armenia on September 29 and buried in Oshakan. He was laid to rest alongside his two grandsons, Genadi Grigoryan, 24, and Aren Grigoryan, 15, who tragically died in the fuel depot explosion in Stepanakert.

Sergey Hovoyan

On September 19, the Hovoyan family was staying in the village of Vank, at the home of the Gandzasar pastor, Father Hovhannes. Goharine and Vazgen Hovoyan, along with their sons Sergey (16) and Mkrtich (13), were living in Kolatak but often visited Vank.

At around 1 o’clock, just after the family had finished their meal, the bombardment began. A neighbor of Father Hovhannes, Melsik Baghdasaryan, rushed to their house to warn them to take shelter in a basement on the other side of the village. As soon as Melsik left their home, an Azerbaijani rocket exploded in the yard. Melsik Baghdasaryan and Sergey Hovoyan were killed, while Goharine Hovoyan, Mkrtich Hovoyan, and Father Hovhannes were injured.

Shrapnel from the explosion severely wounded Goharine, injuring her intestines, liver, and hands, while her younger son sustained injuries to his lung, spleen, and intestines. After the explosion, Goharine’s husband, Vazgen, rushed the injured to the hospital in Vank, and from there they were transferred to Stepanakert.

“When my husband came to see me, I asked how the children were, and he told me they were fine. I asked him to take pictures of them and bring them to me so I could see. He took a picture of my younger son, and when I asked, ‘Where is Sergey?’ he said that his condition was serious and the doctors weren’t allowing anyone to see him.”

Sergey had suffered a fatal wound to his heart. According to his father, Vazgen, he died on the way to the hospital in Stepanakert. On September 24, with the help of the Red Cross, the Hovoyan family was evacuated to Armenia. They were informed that Azerbaijan required civilians' bodies to be transported out of Artsakh in coffins.

Finding a coffin was a challenge.

“My husband searched everywhere for a coffin. When he finally found one, it was too small, but it was our only option. We transported my son to Goris in that small coffin, where he barely fit,” recalls Goharine.

The Hovoyan family was originally from Armenia. During the blockade of Artsakh, they had applied to return to Armenia but had to wait a long time for their turn. They were told their exit would be arranged on September 20.

Artuysha Mikayelyan

Artuysha Mikayelyan’s body was found partially buried in the woods of Khachmach village on September 27, 2023. The 87-year-old had died from a head injury.

Artyusha Mikayelyan, a former teacher, dedicated forty-two years of his life to teaching Russian in the village of Nerkin Sznek. He also served as village mayor during the years of First Karabakh War.

He lived with his wife, son, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. His eldest son was killed in 1992 during the First Karabakh War. On the day of the 2023 attack, his younger son was stationed at a military post.

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Arnod Chalyan

On September 19, 2023, the day Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-Karabakh, Misha Chalyan made a critical phone call to his sister, Meri, urging her to move their parents to safety.

"My brother warned me that the situation was escalating and that we needed to get to the basement immediately," Meri recalls. As an Artsakhbank branch was next to their house, she took her parents to the bank’s basement before changing into her uniform and heading to work. 

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Melsik Baghdasaryan

Melsik Baghdasaryan’s friends and family decided to temporarily bury him in his garden on September 22, 2023. The village was being evacuated, and they couldn’t reach the cemetery.

Melsik, 65, was killed on September 19, 2023, when Azerbaijan launched an attack on Nagorno Karabakh’s civilian population and military targets. Rockets began exploding across the village of Vank in the Martakert district, forcing civilians to take cover in shelters.

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Hayk Hovsepyan

Hayk Hovsepyan, Berzhik’s son,  was killed on the morning of September 23, 2023  while driving from the Artsakh town of Martakert to the village of Vardadzor. He was en route to evacuate his parents from the village.

Hayk Hovsepyan was from Vardadzor  but he lived in Martakert  with his wife Alvard and their four children. His parents, Berzhik and Vera Hovsepyan, remained in Vardadzor. Hayk worked at the gold mine in Kashen. He served in the army for three years prior to Kashen.

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Areg and Zhuleta 

Zhulieta Galstyan (61) and her grandson Areg Gasparyan (9), were killed in their house in the village of Horatagh by an Azerbaijani rocket.

Areg's uncle, Arthur Gasparyan, was in the same room with his mother and Areg during the shelling. Arthur’s wife, his two children, and sister-in-law were in the neighboring room. The roof of Gasparyans’ house was destroyed, and Areg and Zhulieta were trapped under the rubble.

On September 24, 2023, the Hakari bridge was opened, and the population of Artsakh was evacuated. During the exodus, 69 people died due to the lack of food and medical assistance.

On September 25, a petrol depot in Stepanakert exploded, further worsening the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. The explosion claimed the lives of 219 people, injured 290 others, and left 22 people missing without a trace.

A year has passed since the depopulation of Armenians from Artsakh. Some of the bodies of the deceased still remain in Artsakh, and their relatives’ attempts to retrieve them have been unsuccessful. Neither Armenia nor the international community has taken any practical steps to restore the right of return for the residents of Artsakh.

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