Azerbaijan urged UN to help to liberate Guliev and Askerov

On January 31, Yashar Aliev, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN, speaking at the session of the UN Security Council, dedicated to debates on protection of civilians in armed conflicts, asked for help in freeing Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilgam Askerov from their imprisonment in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

According to the NKR's police, on June 29, 2014, Guliev, Askerov and the third member of the group Gasan Gasanov, who was killed at detention, illegally crossed the border with the aim of conducting intelligence activities. On December 29, 2014, a court in Stepanakert sentenced Dilgam Askerov to life imprisonment, and Shakhbaz Guliev – to 22 years in prison.

The official Bakutreats Guliev and Askerov as hostages; and their trial – as illegal. In its turn, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the NKR said there is no political aspect in the case of Askerov and Guliev.

"Gasan Gasanov was killed by Armenian soldiers on July 11, 2014, but his body was handed over to the Azerbaijani party only on October 2, 2014, with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The other two hostages – Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilgam Askerov – were accused of fictitious sabotage activities and imprisoned on the occupied territory of Azerbaijan," said Yashar Aliev.

The diplomat urged all the relevant international organizations engaged in defending human rights, to intervene and help to free Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilgam Askerov from their imprisonment, while they are still alive, the APA reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.