Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office, State Security Service issue joint statement

Under the leadership of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Victory was achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War for the liberation of the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the restoration of its territorial integrity, Report informs, citing the statement of the press services of the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Security Service of Azerbaijan.

"Realizing that it will not be able to take a stand against our armed forces, the military-political leadership of the Republic of Armenia, in gross violation of the basic norms and principles of international law, has committed numerous provocations against our army and civilians using mercenaries in the armed forces.

"The investigation on the criminal case, initiated by the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code upon the fact of participation of Euljekjian Vicken Abraham, a citizen of the Republic of Lebanon, and others in terrorist activities against the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan as mercenaries joined in an organized group in exchange for remuneration, has been completed.

"The investigation established that on September 29, 2020, Euljekjian Vicken Abraham, born in 1979, a citizen of the Lebanese Republic, a resident of Beirut, initially accepted Hovak Kikia's offer, a citizen of the Republic of Lebanon, to participate in military operations in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a mercenary in exchange for a material reward of $ 2,500. For this purpose, on the same day, with other persons as a member of an organized group, he deliberately crossed the protected state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan from the territory of Armenia outside the checkpoints and arrived in the territories where other mercenaries were also present.

"Vicken Euljekjian and other persons who fought as mercenaries in exchange for material rewards participated in terrorist activities against the citizens and the Army of the Republic of Azerbaijan, using illegally obtained firearms, ammunition, and spare parts not provided for in the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

"Vicken Euljekjian was charged under Article 114.3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (participation of a mercenary in a military conflict or military operation), 214.2.1 (when terrorism is committed by a group of persons upon a prior conspiracy, an organized group or a criminal organization), 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan) and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. By the court decision, arrest as a measure of restraint was chosen against him.

"On May 5, 2021, the indictment on the criminal case was approved and sent to court for consideration," the statement reads.