Arman Tatoyan: Being informed in advance and having the obvious intention of kidnapping Vagif Khachatryan, Azerbaijan took him by deception

All the facts confirm that the accusations brought against
Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijan are absolutely false and invented. Director of
the Center for Law and Justice “Tatoyan” Foundation, Former Human Rights
Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia Arman Tatoyan wrote this. He noted that he had met
Vera Khachatryan, the daughter of 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan, who was
kidnapped by Azerbaijan. 

“When representatives of the International Committee of the
Red Cross and Vagif Khachatryan’s daughter, Tsovinar Khachatryan, demanded
explanations and an interview on the spot and tried to prevent his transfer,
Azerbaijani armed officers threatened to use force against the daughter and one
of the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Moreover, when the latter tried to come toward Vagif
Khachatryan, about 30 armed Azerbaijani officers began to come forward to them,
openly displaying their weapons,” Tatoyan wrote.

As Tatoyan wrote, then an Azerbaijani armed officer pushed
the 68-year-old man out and took him to an unknown direction without any
explanation.

Tatoyan drew attention to the fact that the transfer of
Vagif Khachatryan to Armenia for treatment purposes had been agreed upon with
the Azerbaijani authorities. In other words, being informed in advance and
having the obvious intention of kidnapping Vagif Khachatryan, the Azerbaijani
side took him by deception.

“Immediately after the incident, we also noted that what
happened was a war crime. It is provided for by Article 37 of the Protocol
Additional to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 and relating to the
protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I, June 8,
1977).

Azerbaijan has committed these criminal acts in absolute
violation of international rules, with lies and misrepresentations,” Tatoyan
wrote.