EU-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group: Fate of helicopter crew
remains unknown because of fire shots by Azerbaijan
12:32 15/11/2014 >> POLITICS
Member of the European Parliament and head of the EU-Armenia
Parliamentary Friendship Group, Eleni Theocharous, has issued a
statement condemning Azerbaijan's violent actions in downing an
unarmed Artsakh helicopter. The statement calls on the EU to form an
ad hoc commission to examine what happened on the ground, Asbarez
reports.
"With this statement, I feel the obligation to condemn a provocative
action taken by the Azerbaijani Military Forces, on November 12, 2014,
against innocent people who have probably lost their lives,"
Theocharous says in her statement.
According to her, in fact, the Azerbaijani Military Forces shot down
an unarmed helicopter of the Nagorno Karabakh (NKR) Defense Army while
it was on a training flight.
"The fate of the crew members remains unknown because of Azerbaijan's
continued shootings and therefore the rescue operation seems to be
very complicated. This incident is the most serious one since the
cease fire agreement signed in 1994 by Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
Republic and Armenia," said head of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary
Friendship Group. She also noted that she had already sent a letter to
the President of the European Commission Jan Claude Junkcer and to
other Commissioners in which she highlighted the facts of the
incident.
"The EU should condemn this action and support the efforts for the
solution of the problem on the basis of the right of
self-determination," the statement reads.
As NKR Defense Ministry press service reported earlier, on November
12, at around 1:45 pm, Nagorno Karabakh Air Forces' Mi-24 helicopter
was shot by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during military training
flight in the airspace in the eastern section of Karabakh - Azerbaijan
Line of Contact. The land, on which the incident occurred, is in close
proximity to the line of contact. Opponent after the incident
continued intense bombardment scene from weapons of different caliber.
The place where the helicopter was shot is close to the Line of
Contact. The enemy continued to fire shots from weapons of different
calibers after the incident.
Meanwhile, the press secretary of Armenian Defense Minister Artsrun
Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook page that Azerbaijani Armed Forces
have carried out an unprecedented provocation on the border with the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh; this has also led to escalation of the
situation. In the same time the fabrications of the Azerbaijani side,
as if the Armenian helicopters had attacked their positions and they
allegedly had merely responded to this step, are senseless. "The study
of the wreckage of the helicopter will confirm that he was not armed.
The escalation of the Azerbaijani side has continued even after the
helicopter fall down. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side continued
shelling, not allowing even to get closer to the pilots. The
consequences of this unprecedented escalation will be very harmful for
the Azerbaijani side and will remain as a stain on the conscience of
the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan. Captain of the
helicopter was Major Sergei Sahakyan. Information about the fate of
the crew will be given later," Artsrun Hovhannisyan stated.
Source: Panorama.am
remains unknown because of fire shots by Azerbaijan
12:32 15/11/2014 >> POLITICS
Member of the European Parliament and head of the EU-Armenia
Parliamentary Friendship Group, Eleni Theocharous, has issued a
statement condemning Azerbaijan's violent actions in downing an
unarmed Artsakh helicopter. The statement calls on the EU to form an
ad hoc commission to examine what happened on the ground, Asbarez
reports.
"With this statement, I feel the obligation to condemn a provocative
action taken by the Azerbaijani Military Forces, on November 12, 2014,
against innocent people who have probably lost their lives,"
Theocharous says in her statement.
According to her, in fact, the Azerbaijani Military Forces shot down
an unarmed helicopter of the Nagorno Karabakh (NKR) Defense Army while
it was on a training flight.
"The fate of the crew members remains unknown because of Azerbaijan's
continued shootings and therefore the rescue operation seems to be
very complicated. This incident is the most serious one since the
cease fire agreement signed in 1994 by Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
Republic and Armenia," said head of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary
Friendship Group. She also noted that she had already sent a letter to
the President of the European Commission Jan Claude Junkcer and to
other Commissioners in which she highlighted the facts of the
incident.
"The EU should condemn this action and support the efforts for the
solution of the problem on the basis of the right of
self-determination," the statement reads.
As NKR Defense Ministry press service reported earlier, on November
12, at around 1:45 pm, Nagorno Karabakh Air Forces' Mi-24 helicopter
was shot by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during military training
flight in the airspace in the eastern section of Karabakh - Azerbaijan
Line of Contact. The land, on which the incident occurred, is in close
proximity to the line of contact. Opponent after the incident
continued intense bombardment scene from weapons of different caliber.
The place where the helicopter was shot is close to the Line of
Contact. The enemy continued to fire shots from weapons of different
calibers after the incident.
Meanwhile, the press secretary of Armenian Defense Minister Artsrun
Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook page that Azerbaijani Armed Forces
have carried out an unprecedented provocation on the border with the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh; this has also led to escalation of the
situation. In the same time the fabrications of the Azerbaijani side,
as if the Armenian helicopters had attacked their positions and they
allegedly had merely responded to this step, are senseless. "The study
of the wreckage of the helicopter will confirm that he was not armed.
The escalation of the Azerbaijani side has continued even after the
helicopter fall down. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side continued
shelling, not allowing even to get closer to the pilots. The
consequences of this unprecedented escalation will be very harmful for
the Azerbaijani side and will remain as a stain on the conscience of
the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan. Captain of the
helicopter was Major Sergei Sahakyan. Information about the fate of
the crew will be given later," Artsrun Hovhannisyan stated.
Source: Panorama.am