US State Department ‘Deeply Concerned’ by Karen Petrosyan’s Death in Azerbaijani Custody

ANCA welcomes call for “full and transparent” investigation of incident

WASHINGTON, DC—A State Department spokesperson, in response to an August 15 media inquiry about the violent abuse and subsequent death of an Armenian civilian while in Azerbaijani custody, has issued the following statement:

News reports showed Azerbaijani defense ministry officials dragging, questioning and publicly humiliating Petrosyan on national television.
News reports showed Azerbaijani defense ministry officials dragging, questioning and publicly humiliating Petrosyan on national television.

“The United States is deeply concerned by reports on the death of Karen Petrosyan while in Azerbaijan’s custody and by allegations that his death was not due to natural causes.   The United States offers its sincere condolences to Mr. Petrosyan’s family. We call on the Government of Azerbaijan to conduct a full and transparent investigation into this incident and to make its findings public. We remind the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia of their obligations under international humanitarian law, especially their obligation to treat humanely all those taken into custody. We call on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all detainees and internees held for conflict-related reasons.”

“The ANCA welcomes the State Department’s expression of concern regarding Azerbaijan’s actions, joins with all Americans in extending our condolences to the Petrosyan family, and supports our government’s call upon Azerbaijan to conduct a full and transparent investigation into this incident and to make its findings public,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

On Thursday, August 7, Armenian border villager Karen Petrosyan wandered into Azerbaijan for unknown reasons and was arrested by military authorities.  News reports showed Azerbaijani defense ministry officials dragging, questioning and publicly humiliating Petrosyan on national television.  On Friday, August 8, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced that Petrosian had died of “acute heart failure.”

The Armenian government and military have challenged the official cause of the villager’s death, suggesting that he was murdered or beaten to death. They also shrugged off Baku’s claims that he was part of an Armenian commando squad that attempted to carry out sabotage attacks in Azerbaijan.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is trying to arrange Petrosian’s repatriation to Armenia.

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Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

7 Comments

  1. Once again these savage barbarian Turkic tribes demonstrated their inner intention and violence character and hate toward civilize people of the world, especially toward Armenians!

  2. US deeply concerned ?? Are you kidding me ? No secret that ISIS is almost completely Turkish AND trained in turkey. US is concerned. What a total and complete joke. I don’t even know where to begin.

  3. The Armenian government must put out a statement emphasizing that what happened to Karen Petrosyan is not an isolated incident. It is not personal act but, a systemic approach ordered, blessed, and defended by the government of Azerbaijan. To prove this the government of Armenia must cite the the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affair’s statement chiding the US and France for “biased position” and claiming that Karen was a saboteur.

  4. The Azeri Government will never change. The torturing & killing of Karen Petrosyan a civilian from Artsakh shows what kind of monstros people the Azeri Turks are. The Armenian Government must wake up and bring this issue as well as all the attacks they have made over the years killing civilians, soldiers being sniped. No nation has told the Azeri’s to stop these killings.

  5. Behave civilised please and at try to benefit the world peace by acting responsibly in your countries. Please leave each other to carry on normal lives and treat all with respect. If any passes over a border it should never mean humiliation, torture or any other reactions of violence, just an investigation, and settle al as other nations do.

  6. The Us State Department is NO FRIEND of the Armenian people. Never will be..In that part of the world its main concern is the protection and the wishes of Israel and the well being of the Donemehs that control Turkey. All foreign policy goes through the Israeli lobby. All of it. That’s why the USA will NEVER EVER call it a genocide or criticize Azerbaijan as the USA wants to keep the oil flowing and the Arms sales ringing and a launching stage against Iran ready…

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