Armenian captive was tortured in Azerbaijan, says Prosecutor General’s Office

A criminal case has been filed over the death of Manvel Saribekyan, according to the website of Prosecutor General’s Office.

Manvel Saribekyan was an Armenian shepherd who had due to foggy weather conditions lost his orientation on September 11 and inadvertently crossed into Azerbaijani border together with his cattle, according to the source.

He had been caught by Azerbaijani armed forces and held in captivity. Later in October he was reported to have committed suicide – something the Armenian side denies.

On November 4, 2010 Azerbaijan repatriated Saribekyan’s body in a swap deal in pursuant of a recent agreement reached by Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Astrakhan, Russia.

Armenia returned an Azerbaijani captive citizen in return.

A preliminary examination of Saribekyan’s corpse had revealed that it has not been duly preserved in Azerbaijan as the corpse had been decayed.

A forensic examination has also revealed that there is evidence of torture on the body which testifies to the fact that Manvel Saribekyan has been subjected to harassment, degrading treatment.

Upon the instructions of the Prosecutor General’s Office a criminal case has been filed on the bases of the Second Part of Article 104 (intentional murder with special cruelty) of Armenia’s Criminal Code.

The preliminary investigation has been assigned to the General Investigation Bureau of the Republic of Armenia.