Red Cross, Defense Ministry say no news on Armenian captives' fate

PanARMENIAN.Net - The International Committee of the Red Cross continues negotiations on the situation of the Armenian captive Mamikon Khojoyan, also maintaining a dialogue with the governmental bodies, the representative of the ICRC Delegation to Azerbaijan said.

According to Ilaha Huseynova, ICRC may return the captive in case agreement on both sides as well as the captive is procured. “If the request is made after an agreement was given, the Committee will participate in the operation for the captive’s return. At present, ICRC continues a dialogue with the sides,” she said, refusing to reveal further details, ANS PRESS reported.

As Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan, in turn, noted negotiations, complicated by absence of direct links with Azerbaijan, are held through the mediation of the Red Cross. However, he said, there’s no news to be reported of either the 77-year-old Khojoyan and serviceman Hakob Injighulyan who strayed into an Azeri-controlled territory on August 9, 2013 and January 28, 2014 respectively, according to Panorama.am.

On the night of Aug 8, Injighulyan, born in 1991, failed to find his bearings on the ground and crossed into the Azeri-controlled territory.

Azeri media outlets have since been spreading information suggesting the captive is unwilling to return to Armenia.

However, Injighulyan never mentioned his unwillingness to return to Armenia in a meeting with ICRC representatives, with Azerbaijani Prisoners of War Commission Secretary noting he sees no problem with the captive's return.

Armenia has repeatedly slammed the “interviews” with Injighulyan as forced by Baku and urged the ICRC to take every effort to help the captive’s return, with no persecution to be initiated against him in the absence of crime in the act.

On January 28, 2014 Azeri media claimed that “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.”

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

Meanwhile, 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.

Later, ANS TV channel interviewed the Armenian hostage.

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.”