BRUSSELS—A European Union official has commented upon the recent tragic incident that saw an Armenian citizen die in Azerbaijani captivity.
Speaking to Panorama.am, Peter Stano, a spokesman for European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Stefan Fule, said the EU is now calling for a transparent investigation into the death of Karen Petrosyan.
“The EU deeply regrets the continued tragic loss of life in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which ever more emphasizes the urgency of finding an early and just solution to the conflict. We offer our sincere condolences to the family of Karen Petrosyan and to other Armenian as well as Azerbaijani victims,” he said.
“The EU underscores the obligations of both sides under international humanitarian law, in particular with regard to civilians and treatment of persons taken into custody during times of conflict, and calls for the full and transparent investigation of such incidents. We appeal to Azerbaijan and to Armenia to provide unimpeded access to the International Committee of the Red Cross and offer every assistance in resolving quickly and in accordance with the international humanitarian law the cases of persons perished or held in custody as a result of the conflict,” Stano added.
Petrosyan, a 31-year-old resident of Armenia’s Tavush region, was taken captive in Azerbaijan after accidentally crossing the interstate border in August. He was reported dead a day later. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense cited a heart failure as the reason of the decease.
In recent comments to Tert.am, Chairman of the Helsinki Association’s Vanadzor Office Arthur Sakunts said that he and Armenia’s former ombudsman, Larisa Alaverdyan, had applied to international organizations, calling for a fair probe into the incident.
