Has an Azerbaijani soldier, captured by Armenians, been humiliated by sergeants and fellows-in-arms?

One of the main topics, which remains the center of public attention, is a fact of the capturing of Azerbaijani soldier Rafig Hasanov by Armenians. The additional details of how it became possible were made public by the soldier's parents.

According to Day.Az, officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross told the serviceman's parents that Azerbaijani serviceman Rafig Hasanov, being in Armenian captivity since October 8, was in an unconscious state during the meeting with the ICRC representatives. According to serviceman's mother Rubaba Hasanova, ICRC representatives met her son on October 9 for the first time. "They registered the fact yet were not able to have a talk as he was unconscious. On October 16 they held the next meeting with Rafig and the son dictated the letter and the ICRC representative wrote it down. Rafig's family wrote a response letter and submitted it to the ICRC Barda office.

It should be noted that according to serviceman's father Rahman Hasanov, his son was humiliated by sergeants and servicemen while being in the army and Rahman Hasanov even filed a claim to the military prosecutor's office of the Gazakh region.

He said the fact of the humiliation of his son is also admitted by servicemen questioned in the prosecutor's office due to the complaint. Neither the military prosecution nor the military unit provided Rahman Hasanov with the information about the circumstances of capturing Rafig Hasanov.

He said on October 8 (the day of capturing) Rafig had a quarrel with the servicemen that humiliated him. "I went to the unit and directed to the post. One of the Veliyev brothers, Rafig's fellow-in-arms, told me that my son disappeared from the military unit at about 9:00 on October 8 and, he said he heard three shootings, but it was difficult to define the direction of the shooting".

The content of the letter sent by Hasanov to the parents arises special interest. Soldier's father told APA that the letter reads the following.

"I am alright. If my brother Afig has a son, call him after me. Bring my brother Azer with you and be friendly". According to Hasanov, as his son can neither read nor write, the letter was written down by ICRC official: "A person, who delivered the letter, told me that he wrote it down from Rafig's words".

Spokesman for ICRC Azerbaijani representative Gulnaz Guliyeva confirmed this fact while speaking to Echo. She announced that the meeting was attended by official of the ICRC Baku office- a foreigner, who knows Azerbaijani. "She is the ICRC delegate in Azerbaijan. She was sent to Armenia as Hasanov does not know Russian. She could talk to him and translate his words to officials of the ICRC Yerevan office, who wrote the letter from his words in Russian. The family also wrote a response, delivered to Armenia.

Thus, two moments attract special attention here.

First of all, how did it become possible that a person, who can neither read nor write, was sent to the front? In the end, how did he take an oath? Who is to be blamed for it - parents or the Aghdam region military enlistment office, which recruited Hasanov in April of this year?

Second, what does the tone and content of the letter, delivered to the parents, evidence? Doesn't it evidence that Hasanov has already decided not to return to Azerbaijan and follow Samir Mamedov's way?

Unfortunately, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan could not been reached for comments. But military analyst and member of the Reserve officers Union Uzeir Cafarov has definite information from his sources from abroad.

"Unfortunately, no one pays any attention to the issue of education of the young people, even whether they can at least read or write while recruiting. We have repeatedly come across such facts in the army. During an oath taking one soldier reads the text and others repeat it and then undersign. If parents have tried to insist on the just decision, they would have had to fulfill those "specific requirements", put forward by the military enlistment offices in such cases. But looking at Hasanov's father you can see that he has no means for it".

"We have information that Hasanov earlier told parents about his being beaten by the servicemen", said the expert. "Thus, he can be fully considered a victim of the army bullying. And for some reasons, the military prosecution of the Gazakh reagion, which learned about it, did not stop these actions for they often prefer to pretend to be working. The result was Hasanov's runoff from the military unit. Again the implied is the section of the front line, where Samit Mamedov (who found refuge in one of the European countries) and Eldeniz Nuriyev (currently imprisoned) were captured.

"By the way, we know from reliable sources, that Hasanov has been worked at well while being in the captivity. I do not conceal that we have a certain access for specification of such issues via Georgia and we are grateful to our friends who assist us in getting this information", said Cafarov, "In his letter Hasanov hints that he does not intend to return home. Armenians managed to work at him while ours were sleeping. They have probably listed an example of Vusal Garachayev and Eldeniz Nuriyev, imprisoned after the captivity and told him about Samir Mamedov. We have learned that this information is true. Today our state commission for issues of captives assures that it takes all measures to return Hasanov. Yet, if he does not want to, no one will make him return. I know that his relatives, his aunt, living in Baku, also try to do something. They have already been both in the Defense Ministry and the State Commission. But it seems to me that everything will end like in case with Mamedov. The next 10 days will show how the events will develop".

"Echo"