ICRC REPRESENTATIVES HAVE NOT BEEN YET PERMITTED TO VISIT FOUR RA CITIZENS BEING ON AZERBAIJANI SIDE

arminfo
2008-05-21 11:12:00

ArmInfo. Representatives of the International Committee of Red
Cross have not been yet permitted to visit four RA citizens being on
Azerbaijani side.

As ICRC Yerevan delegation told ArmInfo, the ICRC learnt from their
families of the arrest during the night of April18/19th of four
Armenian citizens, who were apparently subsequentlydetained in the
Nakhichevan Autonomous Region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Since
then, in conformity with its usual practice, the ICRC has sought
access to these individuals in order to assess their conditions of
detention and offer them the possibility of exchanging family news
with their relatives. Unfortunately, to date, ICRC staff based in
Azerbaijan have not been permitted to visit the four persons, but
efforts to arrange such a visit continue.

To recall, civilians Vanik Zmboyan (Gavar), Artyom Zohrabyan (Noraduz),
Karen Torosyan (Noraduz) and Aghasi Yenokyan (Noraduz) turned out to
be on the Azerbaijani side after the incident in one of Nakhichevan
near-border military units. The incident happened due to interpersonal
relations. By unofficial data, a group of civilians arrived "to help"
their friend, having been recently transferred to the new military
unit. A conflict started among the young man and his comrade-in-arms,
and the "brothers" arrived by several cars at the unit to settle a
dispute. A scuffle happened and the commander had to shot in air to
stop it, unofficial data say. As a result, the stranger- young men
were captivated. The Azerbaijani party tries to represent them as
raiders in every way.