Azerbaijani Side Again Distorts Reality and Seeks to Discredit the Armenian Army: Expert Karen Hovhannisyan

It is still unclear whether the serviceman Arayik Ghazaryan found in Azerbaijani territory left his combat position voluntarily, whether he fled and surrendered to the Azerbaijani side, or whether it was an attempted diversion which resulted in the serviceman being abducted from his combat post. Military expert Karen Hovhannisyan stated this in a conversation with ArmDaily.am, emphasizing that it is not serious to make accusations at this moment and to defend against them.

However, it is a fact that the serviceman is now in Azerbaijani hands, and the Azerbaijanis are once again trying to exploit this for their own benefit by propagandizing and disseminating photos. For instance, the image with the white flag clearly shows that the serviceman did not go like this, and at least to someone familiar with the positions, it is obvious that the photo was taken in a location where a serviceman with a white flag could not appear.

“In the second photo, the bruise on his head indicates that this is at least a blow from the butt of a weapon, meaning it is possible that the serviceman was struck on the head and abducted while unconscious. In the third photo, the scratches on the serviceman's legs clearly indicate that he was pulled, and the traces of dust in the military boots suggest that he did not walk, as dusting from walking is one thing, while being dragged causing dust is something entirely different,” said the expert, highlighting that there may have been a diversionary incursion and it is likely that the young man was abducted not while on duty but during a rest period. The expert calls on the public not to issue accusations against the young man prematurely.

Addressing the question of how the serviceman could be returned, Hovhannisyan noted that due to the actions of Azerbaijan, the Armenian side has no chance of recovering the soldier. “Azerbaijan claims that the serviceman surrendered to them; therefore, if the soldier does not express a desire to remain in Azerbaijani territory, he should be handed over to a third state. According to international conventions, he will not return to Armenia since he is considered a deserter. Azerbaijan has also addressed this issue. We cannot make this demand; even if we do, it is not sufficient to guarantee his return. If the soldier expresses a desire not to remain in Azerbaijan, after completing the interrogation according to Azerbaijani laws, he will secretly appear in a third country with the mediation of the Red Cross. We have found ourselves in a similar situation when the serviceman Hakob Injigulyan who ended up in Azerbaijan in 2013 went to a third country from where he returned to Armenia voluntarily,” he mentioned, emphasizing that he is highly skeptical that Armenian servicemen voluntarily end up on the Azerbaijani side during desertion.

“Moreover, those familiar with the positions will testify that the inter-post area is mined, fenced with barbed wire, and it is excluded that a serviceman with 6-7 months of service would attempt and be able to cross that territory,” he noted.
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