Criminal proceedings have been initiated on the death of the Armenian citizen Manvel Saribekian, who was taken captive by Azerbaijanis this September. The charge is defined as “premeditated murder with exceptional cruelty.”
Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General said Manvel Saribekian’s partly decomposed corpse underwent a forensic examination after being handed over by Azerbaijan on Thursday.
“According to the preliminary results of the forensic examination, there are signs of violence on the body, which confirms that Manvel Saribekian was inhumanly tortured,” it said in a written statement.
Armenian shepherd Saribekian was taken captive on the line of contact on September 11. The Azeri side branded him as a member of Armenian sabotage unit. He was reportedly found hanged in an Azerbaijani prison cell less than a month later. The authorities in Baku said he committed suicide.
Shortly after his capture, Saribekian, was shown on Azerbaijani television saying that he was recruited by an Armenian security officer and underwent a two-month training course at a secret military camp together with several other men.
Saribekian had what looked like a bruise under his right eye.
The Armenian Defense Ministry condemned the interview as a violation of international conventions. It said Saribekian was forced to make a false confession sought by the Azerbaijani authorities.
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