No traces of abuse found on bodies of Azeri soldiers returned by Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - Karabakh refuted on Saturday, April 16 Azerbaijani media speculations, suggesting that traces of abuse were discovered on bodies of deceased Azeri soldiers, returned by the Armenian side.

The exchange of bodies was organized on April 10, with the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

“Before the start of the exchange procedure, all bodies were examined in the presence of representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. No traces of abuse or ill-treatment were discovered or registered on the bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers,” Karabakh’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons said in a statement.

“Through its groundless accusations voiced five days after the exchange, Azerbaijan is cynically trying to mislead the international community and evade responsibility for the war crimes committed by its army against civilians and soldiers of Nagorno Karabakh, including numerous cases of mockery and mutilation of bodies of the deceased, previously reported by the Karabakh side."

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral cessation of fire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

Prior to that, on the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

The Armenian side has suffered 77 combat and 15 non-combat losses, 122 more were wounded. One soldier is still missing.

The Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multipl e rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 14 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drone, whereas the Armenian side's photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs. Opposition media outlets, however, reported on the death of 95 Azerbaijani soldiers, stating that 39 more have been wounded. According to Karabakh authorities, 300 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in clashes.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.

Read also:Karabakh soldier wounded in Azerbaijan’s gunfire on contact line