YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Colombia’s government on Tuesday urged the ELN rebels to turn over as soon as possible the body of a Russian-Armenian hostage killed in April, Reuters reports.

Arsen Voskanyan, 42, was seized by the rebels in northwestern Choco province in November. The group claimed he was collecting endangered frogs and accused him of wanting to smuggle wildlife overseas.

“We are urging the (ELN) negotiators in Quito to facilitate the return of the Russian’s body to his family, the negotiators have been in touch with the embassy,” head government negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo told journalists.

The ELN’s head negotiator, Pablo Beltran, said in Quito that Voskanyan had been buried and confirmed the group was in touch with the Russian embassy in Ecuador.

Earlier Colombia’s ELN rebel group has admitted a Russian-Armenian citizen it held hostage for six months was killed in April.

The ELN seized Arsen Voskanyan in November. After his lengthy captivity, the rebels claim he was shot in a bid to escape.

“Our boys were careless and (while trying to escape) he took a grenade from some jacket and threw it at the men.” a rebel leader explains. “It exploded leaving several of our boys injured, almost the entire unit of five men. And then he fled and the men shot at him and killed him”.

According to the Huffington Post, the rebel leader said that the issue of the captive’s body will be negotiated.

It is noteworthy that reports emerged that this incident might put the current peace talks between Colombia’ government and the ELN in jeopardy.