Azernews.Az

BAKU – Russia condemns any acts of violence on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, its foreign minister has said, in a statement that follows the murder of a 13-year-old girl by Armenians that drew fire from Baku.

Aygun Shahmaliyeva, a resident of a village in the western Tovuz region bordering on arch-foe Armenia, was killed last Thursday by a toy with a built-in explosive floated by Armenians through a river. Aygun took the toy out of the water and brought it home, and was killed while playing with it after the explosive went off. The girl’s 32-year-old mother was injured by the explosion.

The Shahmaliyevs, who live in St. Petersburg, Russia, were visiting their relatives in the Alibayli village where the incident occurred.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking to a news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Moscow on Monday, reminded that Azerbaijan’s authorities have launched a criminal case on charges of murder, but a court ruling is necessary to classify this incident as a murder or terror act.

"Every such act must be thoroughly investigated," Lavrov said. "The court has to rule whether or not the recent death of the Azerbaijani girl was a murder or a terror act.

"We are interested to be kept informed about the course of the investigation: reportedly, the case involves residents of St. Petersburg – the girl and her mother. And our bodies in charge will be counting on interaction with relevant Azerbaijani authorities."

Lavrov called on the parties to the Karabakh conflict to take additional measures to prevent reoccurence of such incidents.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war in the early 1990s. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including the Nagorno Karabakh region, has been under the occupation of Armenian armed forces since a ceasefire was signed in 1994. Peace talks, brokered by the United States, Russia and France through the OSCE Minsk Group, have been largely fruitless so far.