Russian businessman put on int’l wanted list for illegal activities in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Russian businessman German Sterligov, who illegally visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, has been put on an international wanted list.

A decision was made by the Nasimi District Court to arrest Sterligov being that there is sufficient evidence to charge him, according to the message from Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office released on July 28.

Sterligov and his family members illegally visited Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia, putting him on Azerbaijan’s list of undesirable persons.

The report noted that the National Central Bureau of Interpol in Azerbaijan carries out the necessary measures to detect and catch Sterligov for investigation.

The report also mentioned that the Investigation Department on Grave Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office continues building a criminal case under articles 281.2 and 318.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan against Sterligov, the head of the Board of Directors of German Sterligov Group of Companies, and others who illegally crossed into the occupied territories avoiding checkpoints.

The businessman’s lawyer told BBC News on July 6 that Sterligov left Russia and went to Nagorno-Karabakh. Sterligov put up his livestock and vehicle fleet for sale before leaving.

Moreover, in order to popularize the separatist regime internationally, Sterligov held a press conference in Shusha on July 13, 2015. He also posted information in social networks to support the “independence” of the separatist regime in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, thereby calling for a violation of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territorial integrity, the illegal use of natural resources from the occupied lands, money laundering, and so on.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry and diplomatic missions pay special attention to illegal activities in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan. The work is consistently carried out to prevent illicit visits and activity.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's "black list".

Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats against unauthorized visits to territories under Armenian occupation, stating that such visits violate international law.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian, and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.