The fact that Azerbaijan started exchanging POWs with Nagorno-Karabakh proves that Baku recognizes Stepanakert as a full-fledged party to negotiations, as it used to do during signing of the 1994 ceasefire agreement, ARFD MP, head of standing committee on defense, national security and internal affairs, Hrayr Karapetyan told a press conference on Monday.

He noted that Azerbaijan manages to turn exchange of the POWs into a show, not missing a chance to voice regular threats.  Hrayr Karapetyan stressed that defense committee has already appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with a request to take into account conclusion made as a result of investigation on Manvel Saribekyan’s case. “Forensic examination revealed that young man died as a result of torture. The ICRC should take it into consideration,” he added.

The ARFD member said that Armenian side had repeatedly offered Azerbaijan to remove snipers from the line of contact, but Baku did not coincide. “It is to the detriment of the Azerbaijani side, as they get two victims in exchange for one of the sniper. Probably, Azerbaijani soldiers’ lives cost nothing in their country,” he concluded.