Azerbaijan hands over 133 soldiers' bodies to Armenia, some with traces of torture

YEREVAN, October 7. /ARKA/. The bodies of Armenian servicemen, killed in September 13-14 unprovoked Azerbaijani attack against Armenia's sovereign territory and handed over to Armenia were kept in improper conditions and traces of torture were found on them, Armenian Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan said at a press conference on Friday.

"Many of the bodies are subject to DNA testing so that they can be identified because they were kept in improper conditions. There are also bodies with signs of torture," she said.

Grigoryan noted that one of the soldiers, whose body was handed over to Armenia, was not mortally wounded, but died of internal bleeding, which is a consequence of lack of proper medical care.

"Through identification of bodies and forensic examinations, we can identify more such cases," she stressed. In all, Azerbaijan returned the bodies of 133 Armenian servicemen.

Grigoryan said she demanded that EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis of Georgia Toivo Klaar present a video of alleged "crimes committed against Azerbaijanis."

"I asked Mr. Klaar to provide me with those videos, which, in his opinion, may speak of torture of Azerbaijani soldiers by Armenians," she said.

The Human Rights Defender stressed that she also expressed her willingness to study those videos and demand an explanation from law enforcement.

"Klaar replied that he would definitely send them, but I still have not received these videos," she said.

She said also that more than 17 Armenian prisoners of war may still be held in Azerbaijan, but the exact number of missing persons is not yet known. -0-