YEREVAN. – The matter of Azerbaijani saboteur Dilham Askrov can be discussed with the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, Armenian Defense Minister said.

Seryran Ohanyan's comment came in response to the recent statement made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The latter was asked whether Russia had showed interest in the fate of allegedly Russian citizen Dilham Askerov who had been convicted in Karabakh.

“He [Askerov] was detained by the Armenian side, and therefore the issue will be discussed with the Armenian side,” Lavrov replied.

Commenting on the remarks, Defense Minister Ohanyan said “the matter can be discussed with the leadership of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic”.

The Karabakh court sentenced Dilham Askerov to life imprisonment.

According to the NKR Police, Azerbaijani citizens Shahbaz Guliyev (born in 1968), Dilham Askerov (born in 1960), and Hasan Hasanov—who was killed by the Armenian armed forces while rendering the saboteurs ineffective—illegally crossed the state border of Karabakh on June 29, and they were armed with weapons and ammunition. The three entered the territory of the Shahumyan region of Karabakh as spies to collect information and carry out espionage.

On July 4, they kidnapped and subsequently murdered a Karabakh citizen, 17-year-old Smbat Tsakanyan, whose body was found on July 15 with gunshot wounds in a forest at Shahumyan region.