ARMENIAN SOLDIER GIVES HIMSELF UP TO AZERBAIJANI ARMY BECAUSE BEING TORTURED

Trend
July 16 2009
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani defense ministry spread information about another
captive Armenian military man.

"Armenian military man was captured in the territory of Gadabay region
on contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops on July 15 at night,"
head of press-service of the defense ministry lieutenant-colonel
Eldar Sabiroglu old Trend News on July 16.

According to him, resident of Yerevan Karen Norigovich Harutunian, 19,
soldier of 549-motorifle battalion of Armenian defense ministry
could not stand tortures of colleagues and decided to leave
service. "Armenian military man passed border and gave himself up to
Azerbaijani soldiers," he said.

Earlier other three Armenian military men – Grant Markosian, Artur
Vartevian and Alik Tevosian voluntarily gave themselves up to
Azerbaijan in the territory of Agdam region late February.

Two Armenian soldiers Harutunian Ogan Vadinagiyevich, 18, and Tomosian
Gevorg Serjikovich, 18, voluntarily passed to Azerbaijan in the
territory of Geranboy region on contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani
troops on May 31 at 13:00.

Harutunian Ogan and Tomosian Gevorg were soldiers of drill company
N7 of rifle battalion N38862 under Armenian defense ministry. During
preliminary talk they said about unbearable conditions and tortures
in Armenian army. They passed to Azerbaijan on this regards.

Two Azerbaijani soldiers are in captivity in Armenia.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.