KARABAKH DENIES PRESENCE OF ANY CAPTIVES

Interfax
June 11 2009
Russia

Stepanakert, 11 June: There are no captives or hostages from Azerbaijan
in the unrecognized Karabakh republic, Chairman of the Karabakh
State Commission for POW, MIA [missing in action] and Hostages Viktor
Kocharyan told Interfax.

Karabakh authorities "strictly comply with the Geneva Convention. Once
the military phase of the conflict was over, all the prisoners were
handed over to Azerbaijan with the mediation of the International
Committee of Red Cross (ICRC)," he said.

"Karabakh services timely inform Stepanakert [Xankandi] offices
of the ICRC and the OSCE of any crossing of the Karabakh border by
Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians. The latter are transferred to
Azerbaijan without preconditions," Kocharyan said.

Representatives of the international organizations have free access to
all detention centres in Karabakh. There is one Azerbaijani serviceman
in Karabakh. He crossed the border and explained his action with
hazing in the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Kocharyan refuted a statement of chairperson of the Azerbaijani
public council in support to captives and hostages Esmira Orucova,
who said that 21 Azerbaijani children were in captivity in Karabakh.