AZERI POW ‘RESISTING REPATRIATION’
By Ruzanna Stepanian

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 18 2006

An Azerbaijani soldier who was taken prisoner by Karabakh Armenian
forces earlier this month claims to have been badly mistreated by his
commanders and fellow conscripts and does not want to be repatriated,
according to the authorities in Stepanakert.

Vusal Garajayev reportedly crossed into the Armenian-controlled
territory east of Karabakh on December 7. The International Committee
of the Red Cross has since been trying to negotiate his repatriation.

In the words of Arkady Ghukasian, president of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the 19-year-old "consciously crossed"
the heavily fortified frontline to escape systematic hazing at the
hands of other Azerbaijani servicemen.

"According to his accounts registered by representatives of the Red
Cross, he was regularly and continuously beaten by fellow soldiers,"
Ghukasian told reporters in Yerevan.

"That soldier has been placed at the disposal of the International
Committee of the Red Cross which is holding negotiations with
relevant structures in Azerbaijan," he said. "At least until now,
he has said that he does not want to return home because he does
not want to again face the people who beat him and because he fears
government retribution."

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry dismissed this version of events as
"Armenian propaganda," saying that Garajayev accidentally strayed into
Armenian-controlled territory. "Vusal Garajayev will be repatriated
to Azerbaijan," a ministry spokesman told the Day.az news service.

Ghukasian made it clear, however, that the conscript will not be
sent back to Azerbaijan against his will. "That said, I am sure the
Azerbaijani authorities will put pressure on his parents and relatives,
and they will eventually convince him to come back," he said. "And I
assure you that this lad will face lengthy imprisonment in Azerbaijan."

Prisoner-taking happens regularly along the Armenian-Azerbaijan
line of contact in circumstances that are not always trivial. In
some cases, soldiers were clearly not captured by force. In January
2005, for example, four Armenian soldiers who spent several months in
Azerbaijani captivity were arrested and prosecuted immediately their
repatriation. Military prosecutors said that they willingly crossed
into Azerbaijani territory and "came into contact with the enemy."

A few weeks later, three Azerbaijani soldiers crossed the frontline
in similar circumstances. They were subsequently repatriated and
reportedly faced prosecution in Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress