Azerbaijani Soldier Abducted by Armenian Scouts - Experts

Statements by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and the Armenian media say that a soldier from the National Army of Azerbaijan, Firuz Faradzhev, surrendered are not true. Armenian scouts abducted the soldier. This was the general opinion, during the round table with the participation of military experts, which took place on August 1 in the media center of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

   Faradzhev was captured on July 26 in the direction of Tovuz on the front.

   According to the head of the public association of Military Journalists, Uzeyir Jafarov, information about Faradzhev’s surrender with a white flag is a lie and fabrication.

    Jafarov said the soldier had no incentive to surrender; he grew up in a patriotic atmosphere, who was not afraid of the hardships of life, and was going to become a professional soldier. Two days before the captivity, he was on the phone with his family, waiting to see them this coming Sunday.

   The circumstances surrounding the soldier’s capture will be investigated by the military prosecutor's office. However, Jafarov drew attention to the bad treatment of soldiers received once they returned from captivity to Azerbaijan. 

   A number of former prisoners after their release were sentenced to long terms in jail for “treason and disclosure of military secrets”. Causing several POWs refusing to return to Azerbaijan and move to other countries.

   According to Jafarov, ordinary soldiers do not have access to military secrets and it’s not right to judge them, and these soldiers were not captured willingly.

   A veteran of the Karabakh and Afghanistan wars, Tarlan Eyvazov, noted the importance of state's attitude towards the fate of citizens. He cited the example of Israel soldiers who are captured are recommended to reveal military secrets in order to save their lives.

   Ibrahim Rustamov, the Deputy Editor of the newspaper Azerbaijan Ordusu, an agency of the Ministry of Defense, noted Faradzhev established himself as a good soldier. He said the soldier himself asked to at the front.

     Another expert, Lieutenant-Colonel Samad Samadzadeh said that no Azerbaijani soldier has surrendered. Soldiers are often captured because of bad precautions or irresponsibility.

    Human rights activist Alekper Mammadov, expressed his opinion about the inadmissibility of former captured and released soldiers prosecution.

   Participants of the roundtable decided to draw the attention of public authorities to this issue. They appealed to the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the State Commission of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War and the media in Azerbaijan.

The participants asked the co-chairmen to express sympathy for the fate of the young man and make efforts for his release.

   “We urgently call on the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit the prisoner Firuz Faradzhev, as part of their special powers and do everything possible for his speedy release.

   However, we appeal to the State Commission of Azerbaijan for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons to coordinate work of all international organizations for maximum efficiency.

   “We also call on the media not to spread un-proven information, that does not have any basis, as well as information relating to the family,” the appeal reads. –06B---