ARMENIA URGES ICRC TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO FREE ARMENIAN CAPTIVE IN AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, August 16. / ARKA /. Armenia's deputy foreign minister Ashot
Hovakimian has urged today the International Committee of the Red
Cross to step up efforts to bring back to Armenia an army conscript
Hakob Injigulyan, who crossed the Azeri border on August 8 and was
subsequently captured by Azeri troops. Hovakimian said this as he
met with Dragana Rankovic, a representative of the ICRC.
Earlier Armenia offered to free an Azerbaijani prisoner of war as it
continued trying to secure the release of Injigulyan
Rankovic said that the Armenian office of the International Committee
of the Red Cross is doing everything so that representatives of ICRC in
Baku obtain permission of Azeri authorities to meet with the captured
Armenian conscripts.
Earlier the Armenian defense ministry said Injigulyan accidentally
strayed into Azerbaijani-controlled territory east of Nagorno-Karabakh
and was captured by Azeris. It said an investigation is underway in
order to determine the details of the incident and adopt the necessary
measures for the safety of the captive.
Earlier this week, Injighulyan was shown by an Azerbaijani television
saying that he defected to the Azerbaijani side after being assaulted
by one of his commanders. The Armenian defense ministry dismissed
that statement, saying that the 22-year-old was forced to present a
false version of events.
It also condemned the televised appearance as a violation of
international conventions on the treatment of POWs.
- See more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenia_urges_icrc_to_increase_efforts_to_free_arm enian_captive_in_azerbaijan/#sthash.yQ0fWGBp.dpuf
From: A. Papazian
YEREVAN, August 16. / ARKA /. Armenia's deputy foreign minister Ashot
Hovakimian has urged today the International Committee of the Red
Cross to step up efforts to bring back to Armenia an army conscript
Hakob Injigulyan, who crossed the Azeri border on August 8 and was
subsequently captured by Azeri troops. Hovakimian said this as he
met with Dragana Rankovic, a representative of the ICRC.
Earlier Armenia offered to free an Azerbaijani prisoner of war as it
continued trying to secure the release of Injigulyan
Rankovic said that the Armenian office of the International Committee
of the Red Cross is doing everything so that representatives of ICRC in
Baku obtain permission of Azeri authorities to meet with the captured
Armenian conscripts.
Earlier the Armenian defense ministry said Injigulyan accidentally
strayed into Azerbaijani-controlled territory east of Nagorno-Karabakh
and was captured by Azeris. It said an investigation is underway in
order to determine the details of the incident and adopt the necessary
measures for the safety of the captive.
Earlier this week, Injighulyan was shown by an Azerbaijani television
saying that he defected to the Azerbaijani side after being assaulted
by one of his commanders. The Armenian defense ministry dismissed
that statement, saying that the 22-year-old was forced to present a
false version of events.
It also condemned the televised appearance as a violation of
international conventions on the treatment of POWs.
- See more at:
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenia_urges_icrc_to_increase_efforts_to_free_arm enian_captive_in_azerbaijan/#sthash.yQ0fWGBp.dpuf
From: A. Papazian