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On the occasion of death of 31-year-old resident of RA Tavush region Karen Petrosyan, the first Ombudsman of Armenia, the representative of Against the Violation of Law non-governmental organization Larisa Alaverdyan and the head of the Ordinary Genocide project Marina Grigoryan have launched a campaign for signing a petition to international organizations with a call to conduct a thorough investigation on the reasons of the death of the hostage.

The letter namely expresses concern over the death of Karen Petrosyan under Azerbaijani captivity. From the outset, his detention was marred by violations of basic humanitarian norms.

The letter highlights that this tragic case is not an isolated incident. Several innocent civilians taken captive by Azerbaijan over recent years have suffered a similar pattern of abuse, public humiliation, and even death. The cases of captives Manvel Saribekyan and Mamikon Khojoyan are brought as an example.

“We turn to you to ensure that a proper autopsy and investigation into credible allegations of violations is carried out. The autopsy should be witnessed and verified by international experts and the subsequent information and documentation of the investigation should be made available in a timely manner to the authorities of the Republic of Armenia,” reads the letter.  

The authors of the letter also urge the international organizations to use their good offices to ensure that Petrosyan’s remains are immediately returned to Armenia in compliance with international law.

You can join the campaign by sending an e-mail from your mailbox using the letterform posted on this website.

On August 8, the Azerbaijani media reported, referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, about the death of 31-year-old resident of Chinari village of Tavush region Karen Petrosyan who was found in Azerbaijan. He allegedly died in Baku from "heart failure." It was noted that "the causes of death are being investigated in Ganja regional center of forensic and pathological anatomy."

Related: State Department comments on killing of Karen Petrosyan
MFA: Evidence of Karen Petrosyan’s murder to be presented to international organizations