Released captive Mamikon Khojoyan dies
Mamikon Khojoyan, a 77-year-old resident of Verin Karmiraghbyur village in Armenia’s Tavush province, died on Tuesday, May 20, more than two months after being released from Azeri captivity, first Ombudsperson of Armenia, chairwoman of Against Legal Arbitrariness NGO Larisa Alaverdyan told Panorama.am.
She noted that a toxic substance was found in the man’s blood, which is thought to have caused his death.
Mamikon Khojoyan crossed into Azerbaijan on January 28. He was handed over to military authorities of Azerbaijan. Khojoyan was released and handed over to Armenia with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross on March 4. He was hospitalized in Armenia. Khojoyan had medical treatment in Yerevan before returning to his Verin Karmiraghbyur village last month. His health deteriorated sharply a week ago.
Khojoyan’s daughter told Panorama.am earlier that she suspects that her father was injected with solar oil while being held in captivity in Azerbaijan. “The hospital declined to show us the results of the medical tests. I think he was injected with solar oil as he is changing before our eyes,” she noted.