Azerbaijan Allows Transfer of Helen Dadayan's Body to Artsakh for the Second Time, Then Opposes It Again: Relative

The remains of Helen Dadayan, an Artsakh resident who died in a tragic car accident on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway, have been held in Goris for nearly a month. Helen's uncle, Mushegh Safaryan, told FACTINFO that three days ago, there had been some progress regarding the transfer of the girl's body to Artsakh. The Azerbaijani side had allowed the organization of the transfer for the second time; however, they prohibited it again at the last moment.

“With the new commander of the peacekeeping forces and the efforts of the new authorities in Artsakh, the ice had begun to move; we had managed to bring Helen's body to the checkpoint with an ambulance. However, the Azerbaijani side stated that we could only carry out the transfer through the Red Cross. As a result, the paperwork issues began again. The Azerbaijani side demands that the final destination in the documents for the transfer be referred to as the Republic of Azerbaijan instead of the Republic of Artsakh, something the Armenian side opposes. I have no hope for the Red Cross either; the transfer through them is impossible,” he stated in an interview.

According to the site, Safaryan mentioned that a decision from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the transfer of Helen's remains to Artsakh is expected to be announced today or tomorrow. “Our application has been pending in court for about a week. Such cases are usually reviewed within 3 to 7 days, and the deadline is approaching; I believe we will receive a response soon,” noted Safaryan.

Helen's uncle stated that currently, the girl's body is being kept at a temperature of +2 degrees, but doctors warn that even at that temperature, it cannot be preserved for long.

It is noteworthy that on the night of August 14, on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway, near the village of Lanjik, a passenger minibus of the brand 'Volkswagen' collided with a truck of the brand 'ZIL'. Twelve citizens were killed in the accident, including the minibus driver and a guide from 'Hamshen Tour', with six others sustaining serious injuries. Among the injured is also the driver of the 'ZIL', who has been charged.