Armenian MFA considers issue related to return of Armenian prisoner  of war from Azerbaijan as extremely sensitive

ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan considers the issue of the return of the Armenian prisoner of war Araik Ghazaryan from Azerbaijan as extremely  sensitive.

Thus, on August 14 at a press conference in Yerevan, answering the  corresponding question, he said in particular: "This is an extremely  sensitive issue for us. As you know, yesterday the Artsakh Foreign  Ministry already issued a statement in which it emphasized that  efforts are being made to "the repatriation of prisoner of war Araik  Ghazaryan. Given the sensitivity of this issue, I would not want to  further talk on it."

Earlier, the press service of the Artsakh Defense Army distributed a  message according to which on August 12, at about 12:00, the soldier  Araik Aikovich Ghazaryan born in 2000 left the defensive site of one  of the military units of the Defense Army, deployed in the southeast  direction, Later, the Azerbaijani media reported with reference to  the military department of Azerbaijan that the soldier is on their  territory.  Armenian Minister of Defense David Tonoyan expressed  confidence that the serviceman appeared on the Azerbaijani side as he  got lost on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan disseminated  information about the allegedly Armenian soldier leaving his post due  to hazing. Light scratches and ordinary scars on Ghazaryan's body are  presented as evidence of violence against him. However, the NKR  Ministry of Defense denied this information, urging the public not to  believe the false accusations of the Azerbaijani side aimed at  humiliating the image of the Armenian soldier, and to wait for the  ongoing investigation, the results of which will be published.

The Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan also addressed the incident,  saying that he had talked with the head of the Armenian mission of  the International Committee of the Red Cross, where he was informed  that he had not seen the Armenian soldier in Azerbaijan yet, but  steps were being taken in this direction.