After 10 Hours of Interrogation, 5 Prisoners of War Receive Witness and Victim Status

All 5 prisoners of war returned to Armenia received both witness and victim status after nearly 10 hours of interrogation at the Investigative Committee, the spokesperson for the Committee told "Azatutyun".

The prisoners of war included four individuals from Shirak province who were captured from the positions in Khtsaberd after the end of the 44-day war, and one individual, Edik Hovsepyan, who was captured on November 16, 2021, during the escalation of the situation in the Ishkhanasar area of Syunik.

As a result of this recent incident, six out of the 26 military personnel who were captured and later repatriated have been charged. The Investigative Committee stated that instead of neutralizing and disarming the Azerbaijani soldiers who attacked their combat position, the Armenian military personnel attempted to negotiate with the adversaries who infiltrated the defense area. According to investigators, the personnel at the positions abandoned their combat posts and fled, which allowed Azerbaijani armed forces to infiltrate Armenian territory and capture Armenian positions.

The lawyer of one of the defendants, the position commander, squad leader Aren Aramyan, Ara Karapetyan, stated that the preliminary investigation could conclude within a month and the case might go to court, but he is confident that all the facts support his client's defense. He believes that if not during the preliminary investigation, then in court, Aren Aramyan will be acquitted.

“Aren Aramyan, as befits a true Armenian, as befits an Armenian soldier, fought to the end, was wounded, and we also have undeniable evidence regarding this fact. No one, including the pre-investigation body, can claim otherwise. This may be a subjective opinion, but I base my statements on the facts at hand, which show that Aren Aramyan did not retreat or give an order to retreat. He fought against the Azerbaijanis as a true Armenian soldier should,” said the lawyer.