Investigative Committee: Armenian soldier left military post physically unharmed

Artsakh Defense Army soldier Arayik Ghazaryan, who ended up in Azerbaijani territory in still unclear circumstances on Monday, had no bodily injuries at the moment of leaving his military post, the Investigative Committee said in a statement on Wednesday.

As for the injury on the index finger of the soldier’s left hand, authorities said that on 24 July he was referred to a military hospital in Martuni town, where a callus was removed from this finger.

The Investigative Committee says this has been recorded both in the hospital’s registry and Ghazaryan’s medical records. The serviceman has also informed his brother about the treatment.

Preliminary investigation is underway.

Armenia has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to help free and repatriate Ghazaryan, Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said on Tuesday. In the meantime, Artsakh authorities said they “are making efforts to bring the prisoner of war Arayik Ghazaryan back to the homeland.”