Connection of Main Actor in Azat Village Incident to Azerbaijan Not Denied, Lawyer Says

One year after the deaths of soldiers in the village of Azat in the Gegharkunik region, everything possible is being done to obscure the crime, to avoid uncovering the entire circle of culpable individuals, and to crystalize the official narrative, said lawyer Norair Norikyan at a press conference attended by the parents of the deceased.

“The affected party responsibly declares that everything possible was done by the relevant authorities to cover up the case, and all measures were taken to ensure that no real steps were taken towards revealing this case,” Norikyan stated.

He noted that there is no factual evidence in this criminal case to substantiate that the competent authorities conducted any work that would refute the potential connection of the main actor, Yeghishe Hakobyan, to Azerbaijani special services within the framework of the official narrative they presented.

“Other criminal cases are handled by respective special services that conduct work to either deny or confirm the links of actors to Azerbaijani special services. Therefore, it is strange to me that no such processes have been carried out in this case,” he said.

No evidence has been presented that denies the connection of the main actor in the Azat village incident to Azerbaijan.