Prosecutor's Office Ready to Facilitate Contact with Detained Terrorists for Embassies

The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia has made an appeal to the foreign diplomatic missions operating in Armenia and international organizations specialized in combating international terrorism, expressing its readiness to facilitate communication with detained citizens of the Syrian Arab Republic accused of international terrorism, based on a relevant request.

"The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia has already informed that, due to the aggressive war unleashed against the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh by the military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in violation of several international treaty requirements, several citizens of the Syrian Arab Republic have been detained in connection with criminal cases regarding the application of prohibited methods in warfare and the systematic, premeditated, and targeted infliction of human and property losses," the announcement stated.

Among those detained are Muhhrab Muhammad Al Shkhayr and Youssef Alabet Al Haji, both of Arab ethnicity. The first was discovered by the Artsakh Defense Army on October 29, 2020, and the second on November 1, during military operations conducted in the Republic of Artsakh. They have been charged under Article 389 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (International Terrorism) and parts of Article 34-390 and Article 395 (Mercenary) for serious violations of international humanitarian law norms during armed conflicts.

According to the factual data obtained, these individuals were transported from northern Syria to Azerbaijan through the Republic of Turkey in September-October 2020, and unlawfully engaged, for pay, directly in military operations against the armed forces and civilian population of the Republic of Artsakh.

As part of the cooperation in combating international terrorism, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia is appealing to foreign diplomatic missions and specialized international organizations, stating that if there is a desire to verify the aforementioned circumstances, they are ready to facilitate communication with the detained individuals based on a relevant request and provide any necessary additional information on the matter.