Yerevan: The real reason behind the state-orchestrated capture of  Karen Ghazaryan is not a secret

ArmInfo. The official Yerevan made a statement in connection with a court process initiated by Azerbaijani authorities against Armenian citizen Karen Ghazaryan, who  was taken captive by Azerbaijan in July last year.  

"Sadly, the Azerbaijani authorities, unsatisfied with initiating  farce-like court case against Karen Ghazaryan who appeared in the  Azerbaijan's territory under unknown circumstances, went even further  and, by conducting the trial in an "accelerated manner," ruled a   sentence of 20 years in prison against our citizen who has apparent  health issues.  We condemn the verdict of the Azerbaijani court,  ruled in an vivid violation of the international humanitarian law,  while the real author of that verdict is the leadership of  Azerbaijan.

The real reason behind the state-orchestrated capture of Karen  Ghazaryan is not a secret.  However, those efforts will not succeed.  The rights of the people living in the conflict zone and the  international humanitarian law constitute a priority for both the  Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.

Moreover, the recently-issued decision of the authorities of Artsakh  to free the Azerbaijani serviceman, who had served his proportionate  court sentence, attests to the supremacy of the rule of law and the  adherence of the Armenian side to the international humanitarian law.

Nevertheless, the murder of a minor on the grounds of ethnic hatred  is on a different legal as well as moral plane, moreover when we  still have a fresh memory of the state-wide glorification of such  crimes and their perpetrators. The impunity of the murderer glorified  for the crime committed under exactly the same pretext 15 years ago  is a daily reminder that such new "heroes" are needed by neither our  region nor by the international community.

Armenia will undertake consistent efforts towards defending the  rights of its citizen and his freedom'', the statement of Armenian  Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan reads.

To note, on February 27, an Azerbaijani court sentenced Armenian  citizen Karen Ghazaryan to 20 years of imprisonment, who was captured  by Azerbaijani prisoners last July. Karen Ghazaryan, a resident of  the Tavush village of Berdavan, was charged with attempting to commit  a terrorist act in the territory of Azerbaijan. Ghazaryan was accused  under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan:   "Crimes against life and health" (120-143) - 120.2.12; 120.2.7;  120.2.11; 120.2.5; 120.2.1; "Crimes in the sphere of economic  activity" (190-213) -206.3.2; "Crimes against public safety"  (214-233) - 214.2.1; 228.1; 214-3.1; 214.2.3; "Crimes against the  foundations of the constitutional system and the security of the  state" (274-285) - 282.1; 276; "Crimes against the order of control"  (315-326) - 318.2. The trial against Ghazaryan started on November 6,  2018 in Ganja. The trial against Ghazaryan provoked the indignation  of his 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.