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Akbar Novruz

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Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has stated that Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musayev, detained near the village of Sheki in Armenia's Syunik region on October 1, is not considered a saboteur.

Speaking in the Armenian parliament, Papikyan said the circumstances surrounding the serviceman's detention did not indicate that he had been engaged in sabotage activities.

According to the minister, Musayev did not resist Armenian personnel when he was detained, a circumstance Papikyan cited in explaining his assessment.

The minister also confirmed that search operations and other necessary measures had been conducted following the incident.

He noted that the relevant Armenian authorities were continuing to examine the circumstances of the serviceman's presence in the area.

Papikyan said more detailed information about the detention would be made public once the official inquiry and investigation had been completed.

The statement represents an important clarification of the Armenian authorities' position regarding the Azerbaijani serviceman, as the country's defense minister explicitly rejected the characterization of Musayev as a saboteur.

However, the precise circumstances in which the serviceman entered the area and the outcome of the investigation have yet to be officially established.

The incident occurred on October 1 near Sheki, in Armenia's southern Syunik region, which borders Azerbaijan.

On Wednesday, “The Azerbaijani serviceman who crossed the border and was detained in Shaki will remain in Armenia for some time”, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

“The criminal proceedings will be conducted in Armenia. The investigation is ongoing, and he is currently in custody,” Pashinyan said.

Declining to express a definitive position regarding a possible exchange, Pashinyan said: “Suppose we tell them: ‘Give us one of the prisoners, and we will hand over this soldier.’ But if one of our soldiers crosses over to their side tomorrow, whom would we hand over then?”

Responding to a question about why the residents of Shaki village were not warned—despite the Azerbaijani side having informed Armenia’s National Security Service that the serviceman was missing—Pashinyan stated that there was no evidence indicating the serviceman had crossed into Armenian territory.