Armenia Defense Minister Receives Former POW Hakob Injighulian

YEREVAN – Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanian on Wednesday received Hakob Injighulian and his family members.

The minister thanked Injighulian—the soldier who was held captive in Azerbaijan for more than a year, subsequently transferred to a third country, and who ultimately returned to Armenia on October 2, 2014—for his perseverance and patriotic demeanor.

The military serviceman, for his part, gave details on the inhuman treatment and the psychological and physical pressure he had been subjected to during Azerbaijani captivity.

In turn, the defense minister expressed the hope that Injighulian will shake off, as quickly as possible, the effects of stress during his nightmarish days in Azerbaijan. He added that these actions are evidence to the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities have developed a specific policy of sending captured soldiers to a third country after subjecting them to psychological pressures, torture, and death threats.

Seyran Ohanian praised Injighulian’s wish to return to military service even after the heavy sufferings. The Defense Minister instructed to consider the issue of Injighulian’s further military service based on the results of medical examination but underscored the need for Injighulian to give greater importance to his education.