TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 24 2006

Azerbaijan to release Armenian POW

Source: Trend
Author: E. Javadova

24.03.2006

Azerbaijan has repatriated POW Vartan Martikovich Saakyan to the
Armenian side, Commission for work with the prisoners of war, lost in
action and hostages told Trend.

V. Saakyan, born 1986, was detained on February 2, 2006, next to the
Azerbaijani-Armenian front line near Gasangay village of Terter
district. In the course of investigation, it was discovered that he
was serving on contract in the military forces of Armenia at the
occupied territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

POW release was conducted on the base of reports of the Azerbaijani
and Armenian governments to the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC). ICRC delegates visited the prisoner of war before the
operation to ensure he was returning home of his own free will.