Global Courant
ISTANBUL
Azerbaijan on Sunday accused Armenia of trying to deceive the international community over the arrest of an Armenian-born man on war crimes charges.
“In order to evade its obligations, Armenia is once again trying to deceive and politically manipulate the international community about the arrest of Vagif Khachatryan by the Azerbaijan State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing at the ICRC (International Security Committee) while trying to cross into Armenia. Red Cross) vehicle on July 29”, in the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.
In a statement shared in the state media, the Azerbaijani prosecutor’s office claimed that Khachatryan, 68, was involved in the killing of 25 people in the village of Meshali in December 1991, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh war.
In the statement, it was stated that he was placed in a health institution in the capital Baku, taking into account the purpose of travel to get medical help, and “necessary medical treatment” was provided.
Rejecting the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ claims that the detention “violates” international humanitarian law, the statement said, “Azerbaijan’s steps are within the scope of both international law and Azerbaijani legislation.” humanitarian law.”
“Moreover, it is completely inappropriate for Armenia to refer to international humanitarian law, given the genocide and massacres that Armenia has carried out in 30 years against the civilian population of Khojaly, Malibeyli, Gushçular, Ağdaban, Ballıkya and Başlibel and other settlements. cities”.
It was also stated that the “smear campaign” of Armenia against Azerbaijan’s measures on this issue is “nothing but legitimizing and supporting war crimes”.
“Azerbaijan has openly declared that, for 30 years, it has opened criminal cases by issuing international arrest warrants against those who committed war crimes on its territory, and that Azerbaijan will continue to act within the framework of criminal prosecution and domestic legislation. These people should be brought to justice according to international practice.
The Karabakh region has been the site of mass killings and burials since the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s, especially since the Khojaly massacre by Armenian forces.
According to Azerbaijani figures, a two-hour Armenian attack was launched on the town of Khojaly in February 1992 – killing 613 Azerbaijani citizens, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people, and seriously injuring 487.
Of the 1,275 Azerbaijanis captured by the Armenians in the massacre, 150 were lost and eight families were completely destroyed.
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