Azerbaijan must ask the NKR for the body
Former Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan views the June 18 subversive attack in Chaylu sector of Azerbaijan as a military crime or terrorism from the angle of military and international law. The attack left 4 Armenian soldiers and one Azerbaijani soldier dead.
"Investigative or subversive attacks are only permitted during war, but Azerbaijan, Armenia and the NKR have signed a ceasefire agreement. Besides that, Azerbaijan has signed many other documents by which it is responsible for not restarting a war. There are no military operations taking place at the moment, but Azerbaijan took the decision and sent an investigative subversive group. If they fire from the trenches and people die, that is a violation of the ceasefire, but when they take a decision at the higher instances and the group moves to the line of contact and enters the trenches, that is already a military crime," Vagharshak Harutyunyan told "A1+".
According to him, the number one issue facing Armenian diplomats today is to prevent the repetition of such operations.
"A1+" asked RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan about the concrete measures that are being taken to exclude the same events of Chaylu. In response, Nalbandyan noted that the attack had been condemned at the highest level and that the Co-Chairs have made statements.
"The Co-Chairs and the OSCE representative are discussing the steps that can be taken to exclude such events. But first of all, Azerbaijan must respond to all the proposals made," said Edward Nalbandyan.
Vagharshak Harutyunyan believes that the Armenian side is not taking enough measures. "Armenia must take more action in the legal, political, military and diplomatic spheres. It must address the Co-Chairs, the Personal Representative of the OSCE President, all bodies involved in the Karabakh conflict settlement, as well as international tribunals. This must not only be done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the entire state apparatus."
Addressing Azerbaijan's allegations according to which the Armenian side is not returning the body of the Azerbaijani soldier, Vagharshak Harutyunyan notes that many countries do the same during subversive attacks, though the Azerbaijani have not officially appealed to the Armenian side.
"The Armenian side shouldn't return the body of the terrorist to the Azerbaijani, taking into account international experience. I think Armenia and the NKR should adopt a law on not returning the bodies of those who die during a subversive attack. This law will also prevent and help avoid future operations," said Harutyunyan.
Vagharshak Harutyunyan also made a correction: "Azerbaijan must not address Armenia, but the NKR because that is where the incident took place."
