Accessibility links

Breaking News

Azerbaijan Hands Over Karabakh Defector To Separatist Side


Azerbaijan has handed over to its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region a separatist fighter who defected earlier this year to the Azerbaijani side.

Nagorno-Karabakh officials say that Private Andranik Grigorian was handed over with the Red Cross Committee's assistance on November 18.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said earlier that the 24-year-old Grigorian crossed into Azerbaijani-controlled territory in March and defected, citing the drastic economic situation in the separatist-controlled region.

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in conflict over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh for a quarter-century.

Armenia-backed separatists seized the mainly ethnic Armenian-populated region during a war in the early 1990s that killed some 30,000 people.

International diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict have brought little progress.

Based on reporting by Interfax and Panarmenian.net

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG