A Criminal Case Launched Over the Abduction of Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijan: Artsakh Prosecutor's Office

A criminal case has been initiated regarding the abduction of Vagif Khachatryan, a citizen of the Artsakh Republic, by Azerbaijan, as reported by the Artsakh Prosecutor's Office.

According to the statement, Vagif Charkez Khachatryan, a resident of the village of Patara in the Askeran region, was forcibly abducted by unidentified Azerbaijani military personnel during the verification of his passport while being transferred from Stepanakert to Yerevan, contrary to his will and under the use of violence.

The case was initiated on July 29, 2023, by the Artsakh National Security Service under Article 418, Part 1 of the Artsakh Criminal Code, which defines crimes against human security.

Earlier it was reported that Azerbaijani soldiers detained a 68-year-old resident of Artsakh, who was traveling to Yerevan for medical treatment under the escort of the ICRC. The man was arrested at an illegal checkpoint established in the Lachin corridor.

Later, Azerbaijani media, citing the country's Prosecutor's Office, reported on Vagif Khachatryan's imprisonment. Former Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan stated that Vagif Khachatryan was detained in the presence of his daughter. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has characterized the abduction of Vagif Khachatryan as a gross violation of international humanitarian law.