Your trusted source

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and other detained persons in Azerbaijan, as well as the two Armenian servicemen convicted in Azerbaijan last week, ICRC Armenia communications manager Zara Amatuni told ARMENPRESS on Monday.

The ICRC officials held private meetings with the Armenian soldiers and helped them establish contact with their families in late June and early July, she said.

An Azeri court sentenced two captured Armenian soldiers, Harutyun Hovakimyan and Karen Ghazaryan, to 11 years and 6 months in prison on fabricated terrorism charges on July 7.

The servicemen were ambushed and kidnapped by Azeri troops after delivering provisions to an Armenian army outpost on May 26. Baku reported their capture and falsely accused them of “illegally crossing into Azerbaijan and committing grave crimes.”