STEPANAKERT–The remains of the a 17-year-old Karvachar resident, Smbat Tsakanian, believed to have been abducted from his home by Azerbaijani commandos earlier this month was found in Nor Erkedj, reported Armlur.am.
Tsakanian’s body was found in what is known as the “Turkish Cemetery” with multiple stab wounds on his body and deep lacerations on his neck.
On July 7, Nor Erkedj village resident Mekhak Tsakanian reported his son missing to local authorities in the Shahumian district saying that his son left their house on July 4 at 9 p.m. and had not returned. The family searched the village for days before reporting the young man missing to authorities.
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic law enforcement authorities had linked Tsakanian’s disappearance with the capture of a group of Azerbaijani commandos, referred to as “saboteurs,” who allegedly infiltrated the Karabakh border and, according to Karabakh officials, were sent to there to commit a slew of crimes.
The Artsakh Defense Ministry last week released photographs of the weapons cache seized from the group, as well as the picture of one of the alleged assailants, 46-year-old Shahbaz Guliyev, who infiltrated the Karabakh border last week. On Tuesday, the Artsakh authorities also released a video of Guliyev’s apprehension by Karabakh special forces.
On Monday, the Artsakh Defense Ministry elaborated that the Azerbaijani commandos ambushed a vehicle in Karvachar killing 42-year-old army major Sarkis Abrahamyan and injuring the wife of another military officer, 37-year-old Karine Davtyan. The attackers, according to the Karabakh Defense Ministry, were killed on Friday.
Nor Erkedj mayor, Ara Hovhannesian, confirmed the discovery of Tsakanian’s remains, but did not release further details.
Karabakh Authorities Open Criminal Case
On Tuesady, the authorities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said they have opened criminal proceeding against the Azerbaijani Sabotage group and released the name of a second arrested commando, after confirming Monday that all threats had been “neutralized.”
The Prosecutor’s Office in Stepanakert pn Tuesday identified the second arrested person as 54-year-old citizen of Azerbaijan Dilham Askerov. It said both arrested persons had been armed, reported RFE/RL.
On Monday, the Armenian Defense Ministry said that the members of the sabotage group would be prosecuted as criminals, because they cannot be deemed as prisoners of war, based on international conventions.
“The saboteurs will answer for their actions in accordance with our laws and international norms,” Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian stressed on Tuesday, informing the media about the start of criminal proceedings in connection with the matter, reported RFE/RL.
Ohanian did not mention the charges that may be brought against the Azerbaijani captives, but earlier the Armenian Defense Ministry listed a series of crimes that they are suspected of committing while in Armenian-controlled territory. Among them illegal crossing of the border, murder, attempted murder, attempts to photograph ‘specially protected areas’, and others. It said Article 4 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War could not be applied to the arrested Azerbaijani citizens as there is ‘irrefutable evidence’ that they were members of a ‘criminal group’ recruited by Azerbaijani authorities for the purpose of carrying out sabotage activities.
“The leadership of the enemy army also uses criminal elements that are familiar to the territory in reconnaissance-sabotage activities. They committed crimes according to our legislation,” Minister Ohanian said, stressing that the Armenian side does not want a second war, but also reminding that Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh defeated Azerbaijan in the first war that had been “foisted upon them.”
Armenia’s former ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdian also said that the arrested citizens of Azerbaijan could not be given the status of POWs and, therefore, were not subject to repatriation. “They are persons who have committed heavy crimes in the territory of another country,” she said in an interview with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am).
Here we have another young man just starting out in life who has been deprived of it by a bunch of savages who should not be in our territories in the first place. He has no chance to start his own family, but these criminals are breathing our air. It is clear Armenians not only cannot live ‘with’ these people, but not even ‘next to them’. Only a common Russia-Armenia border will solve this.
Since they are not Armenian citizens, the death penalty should be considered. Alternatively, they should mysteriously disappear.
Exchange the saboteurs with Safarov and shove an axe you know where.
Im xor tsavaktsutyune entaniqin…
A DNA testing should be done immediately to check any residue to match with the kid’s blood and the weapons found on the murderer azeries.
If found a match, these have to go through the same thing…as this innocent kid went through.
We have to stop being “humanitarian”…look at Israelies…Not that i like what they do, but every drop of Jewish blood is considered precious, and yet we can’t scream and raise hell…or we are afrraid of our overseas investements????Where are our authorities????
Mr. amabassador to UN and new one in US????
These saboteurs that are in custody all are “over the hill “to be really effective in their endevours. They certainly not azeri military. Are azeris that desperate that they use over the hill men or are they saving their youthful soldiers to other things? Very buffling indeed..
ARSAKH AND ARMENIANS WHO LIVE NEAR THE BOARDER MUST AND I AM INSISTING MUST ARM THEMSELVES AGAINST FUTURE ATTACKS BY AZERI SUPOSEDLY COMANDOS ,OPEN YOUR EARS AND EYES AZERIS ARE USING DIFFERENT TACTICS TO GAIN ACCSESS AND CONDUCT MILITARY ACTIONS , WAKE UP ARMENIA , ITS TIME TO GET SEROUS.
Russia when will this stop?
Russia can’t answer that question more can the US say when Israelis will stop being attacked. Is that suppose to be a cheap shot directed against Russian-Armenian relations?
So much was talked about the Israeli teenagers. Who is talking about us ?? Why we are not on CNN ???
Good observation Vartine. On the other hand, the majority of the Armenians in diaspora are not interested or concerned with Azkayin issues, why should the international media be interested in our plight.
Because we can never respond like them. They have the right and might to fight back, we’re dependent on Russia’s orders.
Because we don’t own all the Tv networks and news outlets like the Jews. How naive are you? Did you really expect this to make headline news? If anything Jews will hide this to help their Azeri whores so they can use Azeris as a staging ground against Iran.
I am glad to see theres one smart person lol.
What a shame! The criminals must be prosecuted for their crimes.
300 palestiniens for 3 teenagers.
Shouldn’t Armenia do the same?
More like 1900 palestinians for 6 israelis…Armenia has to do the same for the sake of its survival…prepare your mind for it
At the very least we need a public trial and, if found guilty, a public execution, wrap the carcasses up in a pig skin and return them to their families in Azerbaijian.