60-man military unit “highly likely” taken captive by Azerbaijan, says Artsakh Ombudsman

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan says he contacted several organizations and servicemen on the ground regarding the information on the troops who went missing in Khtsaberd village. “According to the information that I gathered, a military unit consisting of around 60 servicemen went missing during these days in the direction of the village of Khtsaberd in Hadrut region, and it is highly likely that the video published by the Azerbaijani side shows this very unit,” he said.

“This incident is totally unacceptable and it must be quickly and strictly investigated by law enforcement agencies to determine all circumstances and the circle of those guilty. The authorities of Artsakh and Armenia are obliged to take immediate actions to repatriate all our prisoners of war as soon as possible. In addition, it is necessary to provide clear information to the families of the prisoners of war and conduct maximally transparent public communication to avoid disinformation and unnecessary tensions,” Beglaryan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan