AZERBAIJAN SAYS THREE ARMENIAN CAPTIVES WANT TO GO TO THIRD COUNTRY

Turan News Agency
March 5 2009
Azerbaijan

Three Armenian servicemen who recently crossed over to the Azerbaijani
side have asked to be handed over to a third country, the press
secretary of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence, Eldar Sabiroglu,
has told Turan news agency.

According to Sabiroglu, all three servicemen are refusing to go back
to Armenia.

"They have asked the Azerbaijani authorities to send them to a third
country. They believe that if they return [to Armenia] they will face
death or torture and life in difficult conditions," Sabiroglu said.

Bullying, malnutrition and poor conditions in the Armenian army were
the main reasons for them to run away, Sabiroglu added.

BBCM note: News agencies reported earlier that Armenian servicemen
Hrant Markosyan, Alik Tevosyan and Artush Sargsyan crossed the
Armenian-Azerbaijani front line on 28 February and surrendered to
Azerbaijan.