YEREVAN. - The Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia has issued a statement in connection with the claims of the Azerbaijani representatives on declaring international search for the European Parliament MEPs Frank Engel (Luxembourg), Eleni Theocharous (Cyprus,) and Jaromír Štětina (Czech Republic) for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the statement, the international documents regulating extradition specify the unacceptability of this on the ground of ethnic affiliation or political views. The international search on the same ground is ruled out as well. “This is enshrined by Article 3 of the Constitution of the Interpol, according to which it is strictly forbidden for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character,” the statement says.

It is also noted that the Office of the Prosecutor General takes measures for such cases (in particular those launched under Article 318 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code) not to proceed and the data on such citizens not to be included in the Interpol base. It also keeps in touch with the Interpol administration, informing it in detail on the political and ethnic background of the criminal prosecution.

As to the search in the framework of the CIS, the relevant documents do not contains such a provision, the statement reads. In this connection, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenian has initiated introduction of provisions ruling out search for people based on political motives.