YEREVAN. – Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Armenian citizen Karen Petrosyan, who was killed in Azerbaijani captivity.

Karen Petrosyan, a 32-year-old resident of Chinari village of Armenia’s Tavush Region, was captured by the Azerbaijanis on August 7, 2014. On the next day, Azerbaijan informed that the young man had “suddenly” died of an “acute heart failure.” The Azerbaijani authorities, however, had returned Petrosyan’s dead body to Armenia on October 10 of the year past. 

The National Security Service of Armenia has instituted criminal proceedings into Petrosyan’s death. 

Karen Petrosyan’s death in Azerbaijani captivity, however, is not an isolated case attesting to Azerbaijan’s cruelty, and apparent mockery of people. 

Shepherd Manvel Saribekyan, a resident of Ttujur of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province, had died in prison in Azerbaijan back in 2010.  

Saribekyan was taken into Azerbaijan’s captivity in September 2010, and Azerbaijan persistently called him an Armenian saboteur. Later it was reported that he had allegedly hanged himself on October 5. The Armenian side, however, stated that he was either killed or forced to commit a suicide; this was proved by the fact that the Azerbaijani side refused to return his body for a month. On November 4, Azerbaijan handed his body to the Armenian side, and under an agreement reached by Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders during their meeting in Astrakhan.

Criminal proceedings were instituted under Article 104 of the Armenian Criminal Code (murder committed with extreme cruelty due to national, racial or religious hatred or religious fanaticism).

Results of forensic examination revealed the death of Manvel Saribekyan was caused by mechanical asphyxia by compression of the neck, which means he either hanged himself or was hanged. Signs of torture and violence inflicted one or two days before his death also were found on his body. 

Separately, Mamikon Khojoyan, 77, a resident of Verin Karmiraghbyur village of Armenia’s Tavush Region, was taken captive by Azerbaijan on January 28, 2014. He suffered from mental illness. Azerbaijan returned the elderly to Armenia on March 4 of the same year. Preliminary medical examination, however, revealed that Khojoyan had multiple fractures and injuries as well as numerous wounds and cracks. All the injuries indicated that he was tortured while in captivity, and the elderly man died sometime thereafter.

In addition, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic citizen Arsen Baghdasaryan was taken into Azerbaijan captivity on December 26 of the year past. And within the framework of a hastily concocted case, he was charged with “sabotage,” and sentenced to fifteen years in a maximum security prison.