Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.6 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /
An investigation group of the Russian military prosecutor's office has arrived in Azerbaijan to investigate Russian officer's murder at the Gabala radar station in the country.
Russia leases Gabala radar station, and investigation on criminal case is being carried out by the prosecutor's office of the country, an informed source from the law enforcement agencies of Azerbaijan told Trend.
The source said that on the night between Jan.1 and Jan. 2, a colleague killed the Russian officer Sergei Mikhailovich Grachev at the Gabala radar station.
According to the information, the sleeping officer got a serious stab wound in the neck area, with the suspected killer also reported to be a Russian.
Employees of the Azerbaijani military prosecutor's office also arrived at the scene.
Gabala radar station was built during Soviet times as one of the most important elements of Soviet Union's missile defense system. After Azerbaijan gained independence and moved the radar as its property, Russia continued to use the station, despite the radar being in Azerbaijan's jurisdiction.
A 10-year agreement on lease of the radar was signed in 2002. Question of the Gabala radar station has become the subject of internal debate, as well as in the Azerbaijani parliament. In early 2006, Azerbaijan raised the issue of doubling rent for the use of radar from $7 million to $14.4 million a year.