Baku, Azerbaijan, July 24
By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:
The European Azerbaijanis Congress (EAC) and the Coordination Center of Azerbaijanis in Germany (CCAG) sent an appeal to public, political and humanitarian organizations in Europe regarding taking hostage of Azerbaijani citizens Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev by the Armenian armed forces in Kalbajar region, the State Committee for Work with Diaspora said on July 24.
Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev taken hostage in their native lands by Armenian invaders are in grave condition, according to the appeal.
EAC and CCAG urge international organizations not to remain indifferent to the fate of compatriots and demand to stop their torture made by Armenian aggressors.
Along with the events in Kalbajar region, the appeal speaks about Armenia's occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, and the bitter fate of more than one million refugees and internally displaced persons.
The document released by EAC and CCAG to protect the citizens of Azerbaijan, envisages the inadmissibility of violating the most basic human rights, namely, the right to live in the Motherland and requires the restoration of this right.
Earlier, Armenian media reported that the Armenian forces, during an operation in the occupied Kalbajar region's Shaplar village, killed an Azerbaijani - Hasan Hasanov, and detained two other Azerbaijanis - Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov.
In this regard, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of Azerbaijan issued a message that the commission focuses on the future of the Azerbaijani citizens taken hostage in the territory of Kalbajar region. The photos and videos about them were distributed in the Armenian media.
The families of Azerbaijanis, taken hostage by Armenians in the occupied territories, have officially appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Currently the ICRC continues talks with the parties on this matter, ICRC Azerbaijan's office told Trend earlier.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry denied the Armenian media reports on belonging of the mentioned persons to the country's armed forces.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.