Armenian hostage released from Azeri captivity (updated)

PanARMENIAN.Net - Arsen Khojoyan, the Armenian citizen who crossed the line of contact into Azerbaijan was handed to Armenia today, April 10.

As Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in his Facebook post, Kojoyan is currently being transported to Ijevan hospital for medical examination.

Earlier, the secretary of Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Shahin Sailov told APA that representatives of the Commission and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are in Gazakh and holding talks with the opposite side. Khojoyan was expected to be handed over to Armenia following the talks.

Meanwhile, a representative of the ICRC Yerevan Office Zara Amatuni refused to confirm the information above, adding that the official report is only released upon successful completionof talks and return of captives.

“Negotiations to return Arsen Khojoyan, an Armenian citizen who crossed the line of contact into Azerbaijan are under way, the secretary of Azerbaijan’s State Commission for Prisoners of War,” Hostages and Missing Persons said on April 3.

Shahin Sailov didn’t rule out the possibility that the captive might be returned within a month. Sailov also noted that the captive expressed no wish to be transferred into the third country, Day.az reported.

Arsen Khojoyan crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on March 7. According to preliminary information, he lost his way in a thick fog. The 23-year old is a relative of Mamikon Khojoyan, 77 who was released from Azeri captivity in March.