YEREVAN, Armenia - Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said Wednesday that detained Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musayev did not resist arrest, which he said indicated that Musayev was not acting as a saboteur.
Papikyan made the remarks in Armenia’s National Assembly while addressing the incident in the Shaki settlement of the country’s southern Syunik region.
“This already shows that he is not a saboteur,” Papikyan said, according to Armenian media reports.
Armenian authorities began searching for Musayev after receiving information that a serviceman may have crossed the border. Papikyan said additional details would be provided after the relevant authorities complete their investigation.
Questions Over How Musayev Crossed the Border
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously said dense fog and difficult terrain may have contributed to Musayev unintentionally entering Armenian territory. He said investigators would determine the circumstances.
Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office said Musayev, an active-duty serviceman assigned to a military unit in the Lachin district, had been missing from his place of service since Sept. 26. Azerbaijani investigators said there were reasonable grounds to suspect that he had left his unit without authorization.
The Azerbaijani authorities said they notified Armenia and remained in contact with their Armenian counterparts to clarify how Musayev entered Armenia and why he was detained.
Detention and Criminal Case Continue
Papikyan’s statement does not mean Musayev has been released or that the Armenian criminal proceedings have ended. An Armenian court ordered him held in pretrial detention for two months.
Armenian investigators have alleged that before his detention, Musayev entered a home in Shaki and opened fire after being discovered, injuring a woman. The case was opened under five articles of Armenia’s Criminal Code, according to Armenian media. Musayev’s legal response to those allegations has not been made public.
The defense minister’s comment concerned Musayev’s conduct at the moment of arrest. Other aspects of the case remain under investigation, and no decision on a possible transfer to Azerbaijan has been announced.
Sources: Aysor; NEWS.am; Report.az; Vesti Baku.