Relatives want investigation of Armenian soldier's alleged defection
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 13 August 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Relatives want investigation of Armenian soldier's alleged defection, 13 August 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/521f466a7.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 13, 2013
Relatives of an Armenian soldier who reportedly defected to Azerbaijan are demanding an independent account of his situation. Hakob Indjighulian's relatives staged a protest in Yerevan on August 13.
They called on Armenia's president and defense minister to get involved in the situation. Azerbaijan's state television aired an interview with Indjighulian on August 12.
He announced that he had defected to the Azerbaijani side last week, saying he was beaten by his supervisor.
Armenia's Defense Ministry said the televised interview violated the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
The de facto Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic inside Azerbaijan said last week that Azerbaijani forces captured Indjighulian near the border of the Armenian-populated breakaway region.
Armenia has been locked in conflict with Azerbaijan for more than two decades over the enclave.
Based on reporting by Interfax and panarmenian.net
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
