YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARTSAKHPRESS. Armenia is not holding any Azerbaijanis who’ve trespassed into the country after getting lost, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.
“I confirm that there is an understanding that soldiers and citizens who’ve appeared on the opposite side as a result of getting lost must be returned through a speedy procedure,” Pashinyan said at a press conference, referring to the agreements reached in Brussels. “But I also confirm that as of this moment there are no Azerbaijanis in Armenia who’ve appeared here as a result of getting lost. All Azerbaijanis who are now in Armenia have crossed the border consciously, knowing that they are trespassing the Armenian border,” Pashinyan said.
Any Azerbaijani crossing into Armenia as a result of getting lost will be released back to Azerbaijan through a speedy procedure, he added.
Asked whether or not he rules out releasing the two Azerbaijani servicemen currently jailed in Armenia for trespassing, one of whom is also accused of murdering a civilian in Syunik, Pashinyan said that the normalization of relations envisages difficult and important decisions, but not unilateral.
“Yes, we are ready to discuss, certainly after making legal procedures. Because on the other hand we can’t simply ignore the fact that a citizen of Armenia has been killed, but we are not violating anyone’s presumption of innocence too. The issue is under investigation,” Pashinyan said.
After a court verdict various solution are envisaged under legal proceedings, he said.
