On August 28, the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan announced that the three Armenian citizens detained at the border crossing point of Lachin were released from criminal prosecution and that they were sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention. It is reported that all three detainees are players of the Karabakh soccer club Martuni Avo. In 2021, athletes of this team publicly insulted the Azerbaijani flag by using it instead of a carpet. 

"Based on the relevant decision of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, administrative proceedings have been initiated against Armenian citizens Alen Sargsyan, Vahe Hovsepyan, and Levon Grigoryan under Article 388-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Azerbaijan (Placing prohibited information in the Internet information resource or information-telecommunication network), the court's decision ten days of administrative arrest was imposed on each of them," the report added.

The information added that after the execution of the administrative prison sentence, the mentioned persons' removal from Azerbaijan's borders will be ensured. The Prosecutor's Office informed that on December 14, 2021, in connection with the fact that Armenian football players made insulting actions against the State flag of Azerbaijan, articles 283.2.3 of the Criminal Code (when inciting national, racial, social or religious hatred and enmity is committed by an organized group) and 324- (Insulting acts on the State flag or coat of arms of the Republic of Azerbaijan) by opening a criminal case in the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the investigation was entrusted to the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office.

"Since sufficient reasonable suspicions arose regarding the criminal case, it was decided to involve Armenian citizens - Alen Sargsyan, Vahe Hovsepyan, and Levon Grigoryan as accused persons under the mentioned articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, but because their whereabouts are unknown to the investigation, the court announced an international search for them. With this decision, preventive detention was chosen. As a result of the conducted search measures, on August 28, the mentioned persons were detained by the military personnel of the State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing point of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border. The persons involved in the investigation, with guaranteed defense rights, admitted their actions during the interrogation and said that they sincerely regretted them and said they would not commit such actions again. The age of the accused persons and their remorse by sincerely admitting their actions were taken into account. The criminal prosecution against them was terminated by following the requirements of the criminal procedural legislation and applying the principle of humanism," it added.

On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia stated that the law enforcement agencies of Azerbaijan kidnaped Nagorno-Karabakh Alen Sargsyan, Vahe Hovsepyan, and Levon Grigoryan at the illegal crossing point in the Lachin corridor.