By  Trend

An appeal has been sent to Interpol to put Dan Bilzerian, an Armenian-US gambler, who illegally visited Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, on the international wanted list, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office said in a message Aug. 30.

As a result of the investigation by the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office, it was established that on August 28, a citizen of a foreign country, Dan Bilzerian, illegally crossed the territory of Armenia as part of an organized group and arrived in Khankendi city and other occupied settlements of Azerbaijan, according to the message.

According to the message, Bilzerian was promoting the illegal regime, as well as showcased his gun-handling skills there.

Following up on the matter, the Investigation Department of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office on Heinous Crimes launched criminal case under articles 228.3 (Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of firearms, component parts to it, ammunition, explosives or explosive devices) and 318.2 (Crossing of Azerbaijan’s protected state border without established documents or outside the state border checkpoint).

By the decision of a court, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against Dan Bilzerian and an appeal was sent through Interpol to declare him internationally wanted.

The necessary operational and investigative measures on the criminal case continue.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.