By AZE.US
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said an Azerbaijani serviceman detained after crossing the border will remain in Armenia for now while authorities continue a criminal investigation.
Pashinyan said on Oct. 6 that Nasimi Musayev was in custody and that procedural steps in the criminal case would be carried out in Armenia. He did not announce a decision on a possible exchange, according to reports by Vesti Baku and APA.
The Armenian prime minister said Yerevan was treating the case separately from the issue of Armenians held in Baku. In explaining why he was not taking a firm public position on an exchange, Pashinyan said governments also had to consider how they would respond if another serviceman crossed the border in the future.
Pashinyan also said it was possible that Musayev crossed the border unintentionally. He cited preliminary information about thick fog in the area and difficult terrain that complicated searches and video surveillance, while stressing that investigators must establish the circumstances.
What Is Known About the Case
Armenia’s National Security Service said Azerbaijan’s State Security Service notified it on Sept. 29 that a serviceman had left his post and might have crossed into Armenia. Musayev was later detained in Shaki, a village in Armenia’s southern Syunik province.
Armenian investigators allege that Musayev unlawfully entered a home on Oct. 1 and opened fire after being discovered, injuring a local woman. Those allegations have not been adjudicated. The Armenian authorities say he faces charges connected to an illegal border crossing, firearms smuggling and trafficking, unlawful entry into a home and causing grievous bodily harm.
An Armenian court ordered Musayev held in pretrial detention for two months on Oct. 2, the Armenpress state news agency reported. Pashinyan’s latest remarks indicate that an immediate transfer to Azerbaijan is not expected.
AZE.US