Associated Press Worldstream
August 13, 2004 Friday 12:11 PM Eastern Time

Nagorno-Karabakh hands over detained Azerbaijani soldier

YEREVAN, Armenia

Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh announced Friday that an Azerbaijani
soldier detained a week ago in the separatist enclave was handed over
to Azerbaijan.

Anar Samyedov, 21, was seized on Aug. 6 in the northeast part of the
enclave’s border after allegedly crossing the demarcation line,
Nagorno-Karabakh officials said.

His detention was immediately reported to the International Committee
of the Red Cross and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in
Europe.

Armenian-backed forces won control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a largely
ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, in a 1988-94 war that killed
some 30,000 people and drove a million from their homes.

Despite a cease-fire, Armenian-backed forces and Azerbaijani troops
continue to face off across a demilitarized zone, and shooting
occasionally erupts.