Relatives of Shirak Captives Suspend Sit-in

In front of the Government building, relatives of Shirak captives were received by a senior official hours after gathering there around noon. Arkadi Hovhannisyan, the brother of an Armenian serviceman who has been captive for more than a year, told NEWS.am about the meeting. He did not specify which official he met with. According to Arkadi Hovhannisyan, the official listened to the relatives' demands and assured them that everything possible is being done for the return of the captives.

“If there is no result, we will come back here and present our demands,” emphasized the brother of the Armenian captive held in an Azerbaijani prison. Following the meeting, the relatives of the captives decided to return to Shirak Province.

It is worth noting that over the past year, the relatives of the Shirak captives have periodically staged sit-ins in front of the Government’s building, meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and demanding that the process for the return of their sons be expedited. The Government has continuously promised them that the captives would return soon, but to this day, their relatives remain in captivity.

Recall that after the 44-day war, the Khizaberd community in the Hadrut region remained under Armenian control. However, on December 12, Azerbaijan launched an attack in the direction of Hin Taglar and Khizaberd communities and captured 62 Armenian servicemen from Shirak Province. During this year, only 29 out of the 62 captives have been returned to Armenia.

In relation to this case, a criminal case has been initiated, and charges have been filed against Lieutenant Colonel Arsen Ghazaryan under Article 361, Part 7, Article 356, Part 3, Article 376, Part 3, and Article 380, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, related to voluntary abandonment of service during martial law, failure to comply with orders during martial law, negligent treatment of duties during martial law, and voluntarily leaving the battlefield or refraining from acting with a weapon during combat.