YEREVAN. - Armenia’s Arni Consult law company completed preparation for lawsuit to be filed to the European Court of Human Rights over the case of Armenian citizen Manvel Saribekyan killed in Azerbaijani captivity. The final complaint and documents will be presented to the Court in the near future.

Complaint is filed on behalf of Manvel’s parents – Mamikon Saribekyan and Siranush Balyan.

Manvel Saribekyan, the resident of Ttu Jur village of Armenia, was taken into Azerbaijan’s captivity last September. Saribekyan was a civilian, a shepherd, while Azerbaijan persistently called him an Armenian saboteur. Later it was reported he allegedly hang himself on October 5. The Armenian side claims he was either killed or forced to commit a suicide. It 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 under agreement reached by Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders during their meeting in Astrakhan last October.

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

Results of forensic examination revealed death of Manvel Saribekyan was caused by mechanical asphyxia by compression of the neck which means he hanged himself or was hanged. Signs of torture and violence, inflicted 1-2 days before his death, were found on his body.

The complaint says that Azerbaijan, regardless of the causes of Saribekyan’s death, bears responsibility for a person kept in jail.

The Azerbaijani side also failed to conduct an independent investigation. Moreover, the Azerbaijani authorities refuse to cooperate with Armenia within the framework of the Minsk Convention of 1993.

Earlier Armenia’s Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan sent a letter to his Russian counterpart Yuri Chaika requesting assistance in Manvel Saribekyan’s case.

It was also mentioned that Hovsepyan sent a letter to the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov asking for assistance in the investigation into the violent death of Manvel Saribekyan. In his letter he asked assistance to find out whether the investigating authorities conducted an investigation into Azerbaijan’s violent death of Saribekyan. In case of positive answer, he asked for copies of the criminal case or criminal case materials.

Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office also guaranteed that the results obtained from Azerbaijan will only be used for the investigation.