28.07.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. Today at 18:00 local time two Armenian war captives will arrive at Yerevan “Zvartnots” airport by a special plane from Baku, reported to MEDIAMAX a source in the Ministry of National Security of Armenia. The source didn’t name the war prisoners. But as it became known to MEDIAMAX, it is not excluded that war captives Misha Muradian and Tiko Tikoyan will be released.
On July 25 the head of the press service of the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan, Araz Kurbanov declared that “most recently they voluntarily yielded themselves prisoners to the Azeri side”. According to Kurbanov, Muradian had stated that during his service he was mocked at and beaten by the officers. Kurbanov declared also that the other Armenian military who gave himself up – Tiko Tikoyan, Kurd by nationality, stated that he was humiliated in the army and was constantly insulted because he wasn’t an Armenian and belonged to other religion.
The head of the press service of the Ministry of National Defense of Azerbaijan asserted that both the military don’t want to return to Armenia, “being afraid of persecution by the authorities”. At present the representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross are negotiating with them and in the near future the Azeri side is going to return them to the Armenian side, said Kurbanov.
Official Armenian authorities have not made any comments on the declaration of the Azeri side about the reluctance of the war captives to return to Armenia. -0-
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