YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has disclosed details over the 16-year-old Turkish border trespasser, who was recently returned to Turkey.

The NSS said that a criminal case was launched on July 25, 2018 on Umud Ali Mustafa Ozmen’s illegal crossing of the Turkish-Armenian border. Immediately after crossing the barbed-wire line he was captured by Armenian and Russian border guards. The Turkish citizen was placed under arrest and charged with illegal crossing of the state border.

During the investigation the Turkish citizen expressed regret over his action and noted in his testimony that he had always had a desire to come to Armenia to compare it with his native Kars province, and since he is a minor and didn’t have the necessary documents his only option was to illegally cross the border.

The NSS said that it has checked Ozmen’s possible affiliation with extremist of terrorist groups, but there was no information to suggest any ties with the mentioned groups.

Based on humanitarian principles, taking into consideration that Ozmen is underage and that he has given true testimonies about the circumstances and has expressed remorse, the NSS on September 25 decided to drop the criminal proceedings against the 16-year-old. The boy was released and he left Armenia under specified proceedings.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan