Azerbaijan on Wednesday released the video of an Armenian that it says was captured whilst participating in a reconnaisance/sabotage group that it intercepted the night before.The person identified himself on video as Zaver Hovanis Karapetyan, and said he was born in the Dovekh village of Armenia's Noyemberyan district on November 16th, 1974. "I currently live in the Dovekh village", he said.
The person on the video stated: "I'm a villager. I was recruited for paid combat duty. Taking advantage of the adverse weather conditions, we advanced towards the combat outposts of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Our aim was to carry out an assault on an outpost of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and kill the soldiers. Two members of our group were wounded and the others picked up the wounded and retreated to their Armenian outposts. I didn't manage to flee. I decided to hide. After that, I was captured by soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces", the video showed him saying.
Armenia however not only disputes that the incident has taken place, but says that no person with that name lives in Dovekh village at all. Later Armenian media quoted a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence as saying that the man was clearly a civilian and was not serving in the Armenian Armed Forces. Other media reports cited the Mayor of the Armenian town of Vanadzor as saying that the man was known in the town but was homeless and had some mental problems.
Regardless of which version is true, Zaver Hovanis Karapetyan has now become another piece in a complicated chess game. It is likely that the International Committee of the Red Cross will get interested in the case, and may eventually facilitate his return.
source: commonspace.eu with agencies
photo: Zaver Hovanis Karapetyan speaking on camera after his captivity by Azerbaijani forces.
