Azerbaijan appeals to int’l bodies for hostages release
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan has appealed to a number of influential international organizations for the release of Azerbaijani citizens taken hostage by Armenian forces in the occupied territories in July.
The Cabinet of Minister announced that the government continues efforts to free Azerbaijani citizens Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov upon President Ilham Aliyev's order.
Armenian special forces killed Azerbaijani citizen Hasan Hasanov and took hostage Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov in the Shaplar village of the occupied Kelbajar region on July 11. The civilians were visiting the graves of their relatives.
Deputy Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Hasanov addressed the heads of a number of influential international organizations - President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for human Rights Ra'ad Zeid al-Hussein, Vice-President of the European Commission Viviane Reding, Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland Torbernu and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier to assist in the settlement of the problem.
The appeal urges suspension of proceedings against Asgarov and Guliyev, who are currently illegally accused of various crimes and subjected to inhuman treatment, and their release.
Earlier, the Armenian media reported about holding a trial for the Azerbaijani citizens Guliyev and Asgarov. They are allegedly accused of murdering Armenian teenager among other charges.
A precarious ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia was reached after a lengthy war that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis since 1994. Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing, almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 disabled.