Representatives of ICRC visit Nagorno-Karabakh students abducted by Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, September 1. /ARKA/. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited August 30 and August 31 three Nagorno-Karabakh residents, who were abducted by Azerbaijani border guards when travelling to Armenia through the Lachin corridor, Zara Amatuni, head of communications programs of the ICRC Armenian delegation, told Novosti-Armenia news agency.

"The abducted students were given an opportunity to contact their relatives," she said. According to the ICRC representative, the detainees can contact their relatives either by phone or in writing

Nagorno-Karabakh human rights defender reported on August 28 that three students who were traveling to Armenia escorted by the Russian peacekeepers were kidnapped by Azerbaijani border guards.

They are Alen Sargsyan, born in 2001, who was abducted by force and coercion. The other two are Vahe Hovsepyan and Levon Grigoryan.

Armenia’s foreign ministry on Monday said that their transport “was previously agreed upon and was being carried out with Russian peacekeeping escort.”

Azerbaijani media reported that the three residents were “arrested” and claimed that they have been on a wanted list by Azerbaijani authorities since 2021 for allegedly “dishonoring the Azerbaijan flag.”

Azerbaijani media quoted Azerbaijan’s Office of Prosecutor General as saying that the three students have been remanded and will serve 10 days in prison, after which “they will be expelled from Azerbaijan.” -0-