Armenian military men knowingly crossing border to Azerbaijan do not want to return Armenia: Defense Ministry

Armenian soldiers crossed the border into Azerbaijan in Evciduzu in Agdam at noon on Feb. 28. They asked Khojali IDP Zumrud Aliyeva to give them food in Russian.

Aliyeva heard them speaking Armenian and informed a nearby military unit.

The Armenian soldiers were later detained - Grant Markosyan, Artur Varteryan and Alik Tevosyan.

Sabiroglu said Armenian military men fear that they will be subject to torture and pressure once they return to Armenia. "They fear to face unbearable condition in the Armenian army," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

/Trend News/