Pashinyan Claims Release of Syrian Mercenaries ‘Unrelated’ to Return from Baku of Armenian Captives
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday claimed that the return of four Armenian captives from Baku and the almost simultaneous release of Syrian mercenaries serving life sentences in Armenia were “not related,” attempting to show that this was not a prisoner swap.
“The two events are unrelated,” Pashinyan insisted at a press briefing on Thursday.
Pashinyan himself confirmed that Baku released Armenian capatives Gevorg Sujyan, Davit Davtyan, Vicken Euljekjian and Vagif Khachatryan on Wednesday. On the same day, Syrian mercenaries Yousef Alaabet al-Hajji and Muhrab Muhammad al-Shkheri, who were recruited by Turkey and had fought against the Armenians during the 44-day War in 2020, and were sentenced to life imprisonment in Armenia, were handed over to Syria via Turkey.
Pashinyan on Thursday insisted that released on the jihadists was part of the Armenian government’s larger policy to further develop relations with the new leadership in Syria. He expressed hope that that his government’s decision will create more favorable conditions for the Armenian community in Syria.
Armenia’s Justice Ministry said the transfer of the two mercenaries took place on Tuesday, ahead of the return of Armenian captives from Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
The two were handed over to the proper authorities of Syria in hopes that would continue to serve their life sentences can continue in their country of citizenship. Armenian officials stated that the transfer was carried out within the framework of cooperation between relevant state bodies and in accordance with existing legal mechanisms.
Both men were convicted in Armenia in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. Armenian courts found them guilty of multiple serious crimes, including international terrorism and grave violations of international humanitarian law committed during armed conflict. The convictions were linked to their participation in hostilities during the 2020 war.
During the 44-day war in 2020, Syrian mercenaries were transported to Azerbaijan through Turkey. According to law enforcement information, they crossed the border without any official documents. Before being deployed to the conflict zone, they reportedly took part in military training programs in Syria between June and September of that year.
Authorities stated that the mercenaries were promised payment for participating in the fighting. The offered sum was reported to be $2,000. In addition, public calls were allegedly made encouraging extreme violence against Armenians, including instructions to kill civilians and soldiers alike. Reports also stated that an additional monetary reward was promised for each Armenian killed.
At the time of the war, France, Russia and even the United States acknowledged the presence of Jihadist mercenaries from Syria and condemned those actions to no avail.
