Azerbaijan Detains Two Armenian Servicemen

| News, Security, Armenia, Azerbaijan

On 26 May, the State Border Service of Azerbaijan announced that the attempt by the sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces to violate the state border had been prevented. Azerbaijani officials said that the incident took place in the Zangilan region and that two Armenian soldiers were detained.
In turn, the press service of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia denied the information of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan. "The information spread in the Azerbaijani press about the alleged attempt of the Armenian side to create provocations in the south-eastern part of the border is completely false and does not correspond to reality," the Press Service of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia reported.
On 27 May, the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan and the State Border Service jointly released information stating that on 26 May the violation of the Azerbaijani state border by the sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces was prevented in the part of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border passing through the village of Razdara, Zangilan district.
"Thus, thanks to the vigilance of our military personnel serving at the border checkpoint, the movement of the sabotage group was detected in time and necessary measures were taken, as a result of which two military personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces - Harut Hovakimyan and Karen Ghazarian - were detained," it added.
Although the Armenian Ministry of Defence didn't confirm the detention of Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan on 26 May, it confirmed the disappearance of two servicemen on 27 May.
According to the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan and the State Border Service, the General Prosecutor of Azerbaijan has filed charges under 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling of firearms and ammunition by a group of pre-conspired persons), 214.2.1, 214.2.3 (terrorism, pre-conceived when committed by a group of persons using firearms), 228.2. 1 (illegal acquisition, transport, storage of firearms by a group of prearranged persons), 283.2.1 (actions clearly aimed at inciting national enmity by force) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan under duress by a group of prearranged persons). According to the information received, Harut Hovakimyan and Karen Ghazaryan have been detained as suspects on the basis of the evidence gathered and have been included in the investigation.

The Ministry of Defence of Armenia stated that a rear supply truck, driven by 2 servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, loaded with food and water intended for combat stations, was discovered on the road between positions. 
"We once again state that the news spread by the Azerbaijani Border Service about the alleged provocation by the Armenian side is completely false and disinformation. The Armenian side has enough evidence to refute this and will present it to international partners. A weapon belonging to one of the soldiers was also found in the discovered car. This shows that even if the servicemen got out of the car, they could not find the direction on the ground, they cannot have provocative goals," it stressed.

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