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Azerbaijani Soldier Tortured by Armenians After Being Captured Near Border

By Ilham Karimli April 14, 2023

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On April 10, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan reported that two servicemen from the Azerbaijan Armed Forces had gone missing in the country's Shahbuz district, which shares a border with Armenia. / Courtesy

A soldier from Azerbaijan, who was reportedly captured on Thursday in the Gafan region of Armenia, has been subjected to brutal torture by Armenians.

In the video spread by the Armenian media and social media channels on Thursday, unknown persons are seen inhumanely beating the servicemen of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces, while insulting him simultaneously. After heavy kicks, the soldier lies on the ground with his mouth and head bleeding.

On April 10, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan reported that two servicemen from the Azerbaijan Armed Forces had gone missing in the country's Shahbuz district, which shares a border with Armenia. The Ministry stated that the servicemen had reportedly lost their way due to unfavorable weather conditions.

On Thursday, the Armenian Ministry of Defense announced that they had captured an Azerbaijani serviceman in the Gafan region of Armenia. It was later confirmed that the detained soldier was 20-year-old Huseyn Akhundov, one of the two missing conscripts reported by the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan on April 10.

According to reports, Akhundov was accused by the Armenian side of “killing an Armenian civilian” in Gafan, which came to light after a video of his mistreatment was widely circulated. The Armenian Defense Ministry claimed that the soldier was found with the mobile phone of the deceased civilian, but the veracity of this claim is yet to be confirmed. Additionally, Armenian media has reported that the individuals seen beating the Azerbaijani serviceman in the video were allegedly the relatives of the killed civilian. Nevertheless, there is no official confirmation of this information at this time.

Azerbaijani social media channels have stated that there is a distance of at least 40 kilometers between the location where the alleged murder of the Armenian civilian took place and the area where the Azerbaijani soldier was captured, raising doubts about the Armenian accusations against Akhundov.

On Thursday, the investigation department of the Prosecutor General’s Office launched a criminal case under Azerbaijani Criminal Code Article 115.2, “Torture, cruel and inhuman treatment of prisoners.” It has been reported that an investigation is underway to identify the individual(s) responsible for the mistreatment of Akhundov, and measures are being taken to bring them to justice. Furthermore, an appeal is expected to be made to international organizations in order to hold those responsible for the torture of the prisoner accountable.

On April 13, Azerbaijan Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsman) Sabina Aliyeva issued a statement regarding the beating and torture of the Azerbaijani serviceman.

"The footage circulated depicts torture and cruel, inhuman treatment towards an Azerbaijani prisoner of war in Armenia, in flagrant violation of international agreements. According to the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, they must be treated with humanity and must be protected from cruel treatment and threats,” she said in a statement.

She further has requested that Akhundov be allowed to meet with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) promptly.