02/12/2021 Nagorno-Karabakh (International Christian Concern) – A recent report detailed the execution of 19-year-old Erik Gasparyan, an Armenian soldier who fought in the Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) war this past year. Gasparyan was one of the soldiers who was killed after Azerbaijan broke the ceasefire agreement on December 11 by attacking Hadrut.
The war ended on November 9 after a ceasefire agreement was reached trilaterally between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. The December 11 attack came one day after a joint Azerbaijan-Turkey military parade, though Turkey is supposedly jointly acting as a peacekeeper with Russia.
Gasparyan’s gruesome execution-style murder was filmed, and videos released from Azeri troops provide the timeline for his death. He was originally captured on December 13 as several videos show him being transported with other soldiers. Believed propaganda footage was released on December 27, attempting to justify the Hadrut attack and the later killing of Armenian soldiers. Footage of Gasparyan’s body being mutilated and degraded also surfaced.
Gasparyan is just one of the many Armenians who lost their lives in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, one that appears to continue taking lives even after a ceasefire was reached. ICC’s joint report on Turkey addresses Turkey’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh war saying, “Turkey has an obligation under national and international law to uphold Freedom of Religion or Belief… This obligation for religious freedom extends to those territories under Turkish military control.” However, Turkey continues to contributing to horrific war crimes such as these.
https://www.persecution.org/2021/02/12/armenian-soldiers-killed-ceasefire-breach/