Albert Minasyan
By Neil Harvey, Video producer in Nagorno Karabakh

BBC News, UK
May 26 2004

I flew from London to Yerevan in Armenia, where I continued by car
for eight hours to Stepanakert in Azerbaijan. This is the main town
in Nagorno Karabakh.

A militarised zone exists around Stepanakert. No civilians are allowed
to enter, but I eventually received official accreditation.

The government provided me with a character for my film:
Nineteen-year-old Albert Minasyan.

Albert was a fairly typical, cooperative and bright young soldier.
After his obligatory two-year stint in the army, he wants to continue
studying economics.

The ethnic Armenians have been pushing the Azeris out of the region
from the mountainous regions to the plains.

The Armenians are fighting for international recognition of an
independent Nagorno Karabakh and the conflict currently amounts to
an unstable ceasefire.

Routine

The day of 22 March was another all-too-familiar day of trench warfare.

I heard gun shots throughout the day, but there was no sense of
immediate danger

A small platoon of troops – about 16 men – patrolled the front line
in shifts.

They stayed in a bunker about 500m from the front line and took up
different positions during two-hour stints.

After their shift, they left the bunker or trench and went back to
camp, where they rested for a while and then continued to train.

The Karabakhis claim they do not attack, only defend themselves from
the Azerbaijaini militia.

There were snipers lurking near the front line and I heard gun shots
throughout the day, but there was no sense of immediate danger.

Read more about Neil Harvey’s journey One Day of War will be broadcast
in the UK on Thursday, 27 May, 2004 at 2100 BST on BBC Two.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress