YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–An Armenian man fled to Azerbaijan with his wife and three small children on Sunday in unclear circumstances, the Defense Ministry in Yerevan said the next day.
It also reported the arrest of an Azerbaijani civilian who allegedly crossed into Armenia late last month.
A ministry statement said the 51-year-old Armenian, identified as Yeghishe Gevorgian, drove his family to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave through a heavily militarized border checkpoint located about 50 km southeast of the Armenian capital.
The statement said Armenian soldiers guarding the Yeraskh crossing, which has been closed to traffic ever since the start of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, did not fire on Gevorgian’s old van because it carried the children aged between 3 and 7. It suggested no reasons for the extraordinary escape, saying only that Gevorgian has been repeatedly imprisoned for robbery, car theft and other crimes in the past.
“Relevant international humanitarian organizations have been informed about the incident,” added the statement. “A criminal case has been opened, and a criminal investigation is being conducted to ascertain details of the incident.”
Authorities in Azerbaijan did not confirm the information as of Monday evening. An Azerbaijani government agency dealing with prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons told the Trend news agency that it is investigating the credibility of the Armenian report.
The agency did not comment on a separate statement by the Armenian Defense Ministry saying that a 46-year-old resident of Azerbaijani border village was arrested while trying to enter Armenia’s northern Tavush region on December 28. A ministry spokesman told RFE/RL on Monday that the man, identified as Eldar Tagiyev, is still in Armenian custody.
The official, Seyran Shahsuvarian, could not say whether Tagiyev crossed the mountainous frontier intentionally or by accident, referring all inquiries to Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS). The latter could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Armenian authorities claim that Gevorkyan has been reported repeatedly imprisoned for robbery, car theft and other crimes. Why don’t the authorities who are the main source of corruption, theft and treason blame themselves for the ills of our society in our beloved homeland. As long as alikes of Levon Ter Petrosian, Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan are at the helm of our government we will not overcome the current social-economic ills. The sooner the Armenian people realize this for final and get rid of this crooks, the better off we will all be.. What a petty of seeing an Armenian family for this extraordinary ordeal!
You touched a very soft spot dear Greg; exactly. Perhaps this poor Armenian man wished to feed his three children and wife, that is why he resolved to steal. After all, the government and their oligarchs are stealing off from the mouths of all the populace in Armenia and leaving them poor and in destitude, while they are living extremely lavishly and keeping all the wealth of the country to their own already bulging pockets. Meanwhile the poor people of Armenia are poor, most of the men are leaving the country to go to Russia and Moscow to work and earn monies for their families, and all because the government and their oligarchs are pocketing any money that comes for benevolent Diasporans. The oligarchs created mines of the Armenia’s soil and dig out all the diamonds and the precious metals and sell it out to Turkey to keep the money to themselves; instead of making businesses, creating jobs, more hospitals, machinery, more schools and the likes, the oligarchs pocket the wealth of the country and leave the people to struggle in the poorhouses. They are shameless bunch of crooks and another government must reign in Armenia – one that has mores and ethics – one that cares for Armenia’s sovereignty – one that feels and loves their people of Armenia – ones that are truly patriotic Armenians.
Nairian, well said. I agree with every word you have said.
Relax. Not every Armenian is innocent. For a people who have not had a proper leader, let alone democracy, we’re advancing as fast as we can. Within a generation or two, as the old minded gangsters retire and pass on, the new generation will breathe new life into the Armenian homeland.
We have hundreds of thousands of new college graduates, businessmen, politicians, and scientists throughout the world. All of them look to make Armenia a good homeland, and by God, by 2020 I predict a lot will have changed.