Equatorial Guinea pledges fair verdict on jailed Armenian pilots

Arminfo
17 Jul 04

YEREVAN

A delegation of the Armenian Foreign Ministry has returned from
Equatorial Guinea.

The Armenian ambassador to Egypt, Sergey Manasaryan, and the head of
the state protocol service, Gevorg Petrosyan, were on a two-week
mission to Equatorial Guinea from 30 June to 13 July, the Armenian
Foreign Ministry press service told Arminfo. The aim of the visit was
to conduct negotiations on the release of the detained Armenian
pilots.

The members of the delegation had meetings with Equatorial Guinea’s
justice and health ministers, prosecutor-general and state secretary
of foreign affairs. Manasaryan and Petrosyan also met the Armenian
pilots.

Following the negotiations, the conditions of detention were improved
and the necessary medicines were given to them. The pilots were also
given an opportunity to contact their relatives in Yerevan by
telephone.

The top officials of Equatorial Guinea assured the Armenian delegation
that the case of the pilots will be considered impartially and a fair
verdict will be delivered.

The pilots are in a satisfactory physical and moral state. After the
delegation returned to Yerevan, Manasaryan met the pilots’ relatives.