National Security Service Opens Criminal Case Regarding Narek Sardarayan's Incident in Azerbaijan

The National Security Service has opened a criminal case against Narek Sardarayan, a 30-year-old resident of Nerkhin Khndzorask, concerning his recent appearance in Azerbaijan, under Article 329 and Article 131 of the RA Criminal Code, pertaining to illegal crossing of the state border and abduction.

This information was confirmed by Arthur Gevorgyan, head of the NSS press center, in response to an inquiry from Armenpress.

Narek Sardarayan, a citizen of Armenia born in 1990, went missing on July 8, 2020, between 11:00 and 12:00 while herding his livestock in the grazing lands of the Gorayk community in Syunik Province, bordering the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan.

The NSS established that Sardarayan had lost track of his missing livestock and accidentally crossed into the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan, where he was subsequently captured.

Sardarayan is characterized as a patriotic, calm, and hardworking individual, who has never had issues with local self-government or law enforcement bodies. He is married and has minor children who rely on him for support. Currently, efforts are being made to facilitate Narek Sardarayan's return to Armenia.

Artak Zeynalanyan, a representative of Sardarayan’s legal heir, reported that the European Court of Human Rights has granted urgent measures regarding the case of Narek Sardarayan, who is detained in Azerbaijan, on July 22.

According to Zeynalanyan, the European Court has requested Azerbaijan to undertake the following measures: provide information regarding Narek Sardarayan’s location and living conditions, share information about his health status (with any established medical documents, if available), confirm whether a medical examination has been conducted by an independent specialist, clarify whether a criminal case has been initiated against him, and if so, provide all relevant details and documents, including any charges against him. Moreover, it has been stipulated whether a lawyer has been assigned to Sardarayan and whether he has the opportunity to communicate freely with his relatives and Armenian authorities.

The ECHR has also prioritized the complaint and set a deadline for filing the main complaint, as well as a timeframe for expected actions from the responding state.