Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilham Askeryan, Detained in Artsakh, Released and Returned to Azerbaijan

Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilham Askeryan have returned to Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Caucasian bureau Telegram channel has published their photograph from Baku airport.

Their return occurred within the framework of the prisoner and hostage exchange that began today between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the day, the Azerbaijani prisoners and hostages, including Guliyev and Askeryan, were transported to Baku by plane.

The Nagorno-Karabakh court sentenced Askeryan to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years, finding them guilty of espionage, illegal crossing of the state border, illegal possession of military ammunition, kidnapping, and murder.

On July 4, 2014, they abducted Armenian minor Smbat Tsakanian, whose body was found with gunshot wounds on July 15 in the forest area between the Karvachar and Manashid communities.

Azerbaijan and Armenia began the exchange of prisoners and hostages on Monday on the principle of “all for all,” as reported by the State Commission on Captives, Missing Persons, and Hostages of Azerbaijan.

“As a result of negotiations with the involvement of international organizations and the Russian peacekeeping command, an agreement was reached with the Armenian side regarding the exchange of prisoners and hostages based on the ‘all for all’ principle, and this process began on December 14,” announced the State Commission.