ArmInfo.The decision to release and return the detainees to their homeland belongs to the parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Head of the Communication Programs of the ICRC Delegation in Yerevan Zara Amatuni said in an interview with ArmInfo correspondent, referring to the situation related to the Armenian captive Karen Ghazaryan.
At the same time, she stressed that the ICRC, as a neutral intermediary, is ready to provide support in this matter. "The ICRC continues to regularly visit all detainees of the conflict in accordance with its mandate. According to its mandate, the ICRC visits detainees to monitor treatment and conditions of detention, and also helps ensure that detainees are in contact with their families," Amatuni said.
To recall, on July 15, Karen Ghazaryan entered the territory of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side announced about "preventing attempts of sabotage penetration", as well as the capture of a soldier Karen Ghazaryan (born in 1984). Spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry Artsrun Hovhannisyan said that Karen Ghazaryan does not serve and has never served in the army. However, this did not prevent Azerbaijan from declaring Ghazaryan a "saboteur" and starting a trial.
The trial against Ghazaryan caused indignation of Ghazaryan's relatives. In this regard, on November 17- 18, Ghazaryan's relatives, as well as his fellow villagers blocked the road, demanding that the authorities return Karen Ghazaryan from Azerbaijani captivity.
Karen Ghazaryan's mother stated that they have no choice but to organize protests. "My innocent son in Azerbaijan was declared a saboteur, he is being judged and the verdict will be passed on Nov 20. We have waited for 4 months, but in vain. We were simply forced to take these radical measures. We demand that the Defense Ministry, the Prime Minister, who is authorized to resolve this issue, finally take steps'', she said.
Earlier, Spokeswoman of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Anna Naghdalyan said that Yerevan expected that Baku would arrange this kind of staging show. "Attempts were made to make the show, present Ghazaryan as a" saboteur, " but considering the health problems of the citizen of Armenia, because of which the latter was released from military service, this show was a fiasco. This trial grossly violates the provisions of international humanitarian law. "Naghdalyan said, adding that Baku is trying to put an equal sign between Ghazaryan and those who have committed serious crimes - Dilgam Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who are serving a sentence in Artsakh. However, according to her, despite all this, appropriate work is under way to return Ghazaryan to his homeland. To recall, on November 6 in Azerbaijan, the trial of Armenian citizen Karen Ghazaryan, who was captured this summer, began. Court takes place in Ganja. Ghazaryan is accused of a crime against public security, a crime against constitutional order and security of the state.