December 5, 2018 - 12:11 AMT
Artsakh says ready to consider early release of Azerbaijani citizen

The Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) authorities announced on Tuesday, December 4 that they are ready to consider the possibility of an early release of an Azerbaijani citizen, Elnur Huseynzade.

In a statement provided to Tert.am, the Artsakh Foreign Ministry said the move is a "humanitarian gesture" towards a person "who did not commit grave crimes" in the territory of the country.

The Ministry reminded that three Armenians, captured by Baku in recent years, are held hostages in Azerbaijan.

"They did not commit any crimes in the territory of Azerbaijan. Moreover, two of them have certain health problems. All three are hostages, and their detention in Azerbaijan is a gross violation of the norms of international humanitarian law, as well as the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages," the statement reads.

"Azerbaijan’s reciprocal steps towards releasing the Armenians hostages, first of all those who have obvious health problems, would demonstrate its readiness to take humanitarian steps, as well as the seriousness of statements voiced from Baku."