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GOING ASTRAY: TWO ARMENIANS BECOME CAPTIVES IN AZERBAIJAN AFTER CROSSING BORDER
http://armenianow.com/news/44592/armenia_citizens_azerbaijan_border_captives_stray
NEWS | 20.03.13 | 15:25
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Negotiations are underway over the repatriation of two Armenian
citizens who crossed the border into Azerbaijan a few days ago and
were apprehended by Azerbaijani armed forces.
The incident happened in the borderlands of the northeastern province
of Tavush last weekend.
Armen Kaprielyan, who heads the working group affiliated with the
Commission on Captives, Hostages and Missing Persons, told ArmeniaNow
that on March 19 the Azerbaijani side officially confirmed that two
Armenian citizens, identified as resident of the Noyemberyan area
Durmush Karyan and resident of the village of Aygehovit, Ijevan area,
Anahit Arakelyan - crossed the border on March 16 and 17, respectively,
and were now being held in Azerbaijan.
"They are ordinary villagers. I can confidently say that both of
them lost their way by mistaking the path. The man, according to
preliminary information, was going after his stray cattle, which is the
most frequent reason for which residents of borderlands inadvertently
cross the border," said Kaprielyan, adding that the Armenian side at
this point has taken all measures for the safe return of the citizens.
According to Azeri media reports, the Baku office of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released information according
to which the state commission that deals with captives and missing
persons in Azerbaijan had turned to the organization suggesting that
the two persons be repatriated to Armenia. The ICRC Office in Armenia
could not verify and confirm this information to ArmeniaNow as of
Wednesday afternoon.
This is not the first case when citizens of Armenia cross the
militarized but sparsely protected border in northeastern Armenia and
become hostages in Azerbaijan. Kaprielyan reminds of the 2009 case of
Artur Badalyan, who went astray while picking mushrooms. The Armenian
side suspected a kidnapping by Azeri commandoes, but Baku for more
than a year denied holding the man before admitting it in late 2010.
Badalyan was returned to Armenia in March 2011.
Another incident involving an Armenian captive had a tragic end. In
September 2010, 20-year-old resident of Ttujur village in the
Gegharkunik province of Armenia Manvel Saribekyan, while looking for
his stray cattle, himself strayed into Azerbaijani territory and was
taken prisoner by Azeri forces and accused of being a saboteur planning
to blow up a school in Azerbaijan. According to the Defense Ministry of
Azerbaijan, Saribekyan committed suicide in a Baku jail a month later.
Authorities in Yerevan, however, insisted that Saribekyan wasn't
a trained saboteur and did not commit suicide in anticipation of
repatriation but was murdered in jail. An expert examination conducted
on Saribekyan's body returned to the Armenian side reportedly revealed
injuries that could have been caused by torture. Saribekyan's family
are going to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights soon.
Kaprielyan said that according to their information at this point
there are 90 Armenians kept in Azerbaijan as captives. But Azerbaijan
confirms only the presence of a five-member Armenian family that
deliberately crossed the border into Nakhijevan in 2010.
From: Baghdasarian
http://armenianow.com/news/44592/armenia_citizens_azerbaijan_border_captives_stray
NEWS | 20.03.13 | 15:25
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Negotiations are underway over the repatriation of two Armenian
citizens who crossed the border into Azerbaijan a few days ago and
were apprehended by Azerbaijani armed forces.
The incident happened in the borderlands of the northeastern province
of Tavush last weekend.
Armen Kaprielyan, who heads the working group affiliated with the
Commission on Captives, Hostages and Missing Persons, told ArmeniaNow
that on March 19 the Azerbaijani side officially confirmed that two
Armenian citizens, identified as resident of the Noyemberyan area
Durmush Karyan and resident of the village of Aygehovit, Ijevan area,
Anahit Arakelyan - crossed the border on March 16 and 17, respectively,
and were now being held in Azerbaijan.
"They are ordinary villagers. I can confidently say that both of
them lost their way by mistaking the path. The man, according to
preliminary information, was going after his stray cattle, which is the
most frequent reason for which residents of borderlands inadvertently
cross the border," said Kaprielyan, adding that the Armenian side at
this point has taken all measures for the safe return of the citizens.
According to Azeri media reports, the Baku office of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released information according
to which the state commission that deals with captives and missing
persons in Azerbaijan had turned to the organization suggesting that
the two persons be repatriated to Armenia. The ICRC Office in Armenia
could not verify and confirm this information to ArmeniaNow as of
Wednesday afternoon.
This is not the first case when citizens of Armenia cross the
militarized but sparsely protected border in northeastern Armenia and
become hostages in Azerbaijan. Kaprielyan reminds of the 2009 case of
Artur Badalyan, who went astray while picking mushrooms. The Armenian
side suspected a kidnapping by Azeri commandoes, but Baku for more
than a year denied holding the man before admitting it in late 2010.
Badalyan was returned to Armenia in March 2011.
Another incident involving an Armenian captive had a tragic end. In
September 2010, 20-year-old resident of Ttujur village in the
Gegharkunik province of Armenia Manvel Saribekyan, while looking for
his stray cattle, himself strayed into Azerbaijani territory and was
taken prisoner by Azeri forces and accused of being a saboteur planning
to blow up a school in Azerbaijan. According to the Defense Ministry of
Azerbaijan, Saribekyan committed suicide in a Baku jail a month later.
Authorities in Yerevan, however, insisted that Saribekyan wasn't
a trained saboteur and did not commit suicide in anticipation of
repatriation but was murdered in jail. An expert examination conducted
on Saribekyan's body returned to the Armenian side reportedly revealed
injuries that could have been caused by torture. Saribekyan's family
are going to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights soon.
Kaprielyan said that according to their information at this point
there are 90 Armenians kept in Azerbaijan as captives. But Azerbaijan
confirms only the presence of a five-member Armenian family that
deliberately crossed the border into Nakhijevan in 2010.
From: Baghdasarian