04 August 2008, 17:11
Azerbaijan returns four captives to Armenia
The Azeri authorities have returned four Armenian prisoners captured on the night of April 18-19 near the Armenian village of Khachi. The hand-over process was held today at noon near the village of Traskhavan at the Armenian-Azeri border.
Seiran Oganian, chief of the defense agency, reported previously that the state of health of the Armenian citizens in captivity was normal . Oganian stressed that he did not have any information that they were tortured.
The agency "Novosti-Azerbaijan" reported today, referring to a source in the official structures, that these persons are military servicemen and were captured on the territory of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (exclave of Azerbaijan).
The Azeri party did not provide any details. The Azeri Ministry of Defense press-service reported that an official statement was going to be issued. In its turn, the office of the International Red Cross Committee (IRCC) in Baku reported that the office had not "taken part in the operation as intermediary".
The Armenian Ministry of Defense confirmed the fact of liberation and repatriation of the four Armenian citizens detained in Azerbaijan in April, but it claimed that they were not military servicemen.
