Azeri media dubs elderly Armenian captive “special agent”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azeris remain true to their traditional scenario of capturing an Armenian, a soldier or nor, coming up with a suitable legend, and interviewing him to “prove” the legend. Nothing’s different this time. ANS TV channel, greedy for such conversations, interviewed a 77-year-old Armenian hostage Mamikon Khojoyan.

As Azeri media claimed earlier, “a 65 year-old member of an Armenian commando group, injured in a diversion attempt, was detained at the contact line near the village of Alibeili, Tovuz region.”

According to Novosti-Armenia, Defense Ministry refuted Azeri claims, noting that no soldier at the military units stationed near the region indicated was absent from service.

According to Panorama.am, the head of Verin Kairmraghbyur village reported local resident Mamikonyan Khojoyan missing, with the search currently under way.

As the Armenian Police spokesperson Armen Malkhasyan noted, the 77-year-old, who suffered from a mental disorder, lived alone and was under medical observation.

The villagers last saw Khojoyan near the settlement of Maflar. Their description of the captive matched the photo of a man posted on Azeri websites.

Khojoyan was shown sitting on a hospital bed, with his right arm in a cast. “I broke my arm but am fine now,” he was quoted as saying. “My arm is now healing. They are taking good care of me.” According to Azeri media, Khojoyan gave ambiguous information, sometimes presenting himself as a special service agent, and sometimes a wine-grower. Journalists seem to make no allowances for the mentally challenged elderly man. Also, previous footage shows Khojoyan with an unbroken arm at the time of his capture. It’s beyond doubt that the Azeri side forced the elderly man into giving the “necessary statement.”

According to Aysor.am, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Armenian Office visited Khojoyan’s home village of Verin Karmiraghbyur.

“ICRC representatives travelled to the village yesterday. They clarified some details about Khojoyan and promised to send an inquiry to their colleagues in Baku,” the village administrator Kamo Chobanyan told Aysor.am. As he noted, Khojoyan’s grandchild handed a letter to the ICRC representatives.