Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 28
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
An appeal is sent to international organizations for release of Azerbaijani hostages Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, and work on this is underway, Eldar Samadov, deputy head of the work group of Azerbaijan’s State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, told reporters in Baku Nov. 28.
During an operation in July 2014 in Shaplar village of Azerbaijani Kalbajar district occupied by Armenia, the Armenian special forces killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and took hostage two other Azerbaijanis, Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov.
A "criminal case" was initiated against them. Afterwards, a "court" sentenced Asgarov to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in prison.
“Asgarov and Guliyev have not been released due to Armenia’s non-constructive and inhuman position,” Eldar Samadov said, expressing hope that under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, it would be possible to release the hostages.
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.