Teymur Merdanov (53) lost his brother as a result of sniper bullet.

The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is the subject of an unresolved dispute between Azerbaijan, within whose boundaries it largely lies, and its ethnic Armenian majority, backed by neighboring Armenia. Most of the region is a de facto independent (though internationally unrecognized) state, known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The region was the scene of intense conflict between 1988 and 1994. By the time a ceasefire was brokered, some 20,000 to 30,000 people had been killed, and hundreds of thousands had been displaced. Even after the ceasefire, tension and sometimes conflict continued and most refugees did not return home. For those living in border villages in Azerbaijan, the situation remains dangerous, as breaches of the ceasefire persist. Sniper fire, unexploded mines, and continuting attacks on villages have a severe impact on daily life.