says the father of Hrayr Tadevosyan (27)
Hrayr Tadevosyan, 27, was taken prisoner along with around 60 soldiers from his detachment, a few days after the signing of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire agreement. In July 2022, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by the Azerbaijani courts, along with thirteen of his comrades.
Today, his father, Vardan Tadevosyan, testifies from their village of Goghovit, in the Chirak region, in the hope of one day seeing his son again.
Hrayr studied at the military faculty of Gyumri Pedagogical University. In May 2021, he was due to sit his exams to become a lieutenant. At the same time, he was working in construction in various villages in Chirak province. In April 2016, following an attack by Azerbaijan on Armenian territory, he was mobilized in the so-called Four-Day War and decorated for his commitment.
“ Despite stereotypes about those who choose a military career, my son is a patient, calm and caring person. He has a very simple, quiet character. He is, as they say, small with the small and big with the big. He gets on well with everyone, and enjoys the camaraderie. He always speaks in a way that doesn't hurt people's feelings, “ says Vardan.
Hrayr was part of the Shirak province unit that was mobilized to Artsakh, to replace another group of soldiers in Armenian-controlled positions, the village of Khtsaberd. They left on November 27, 2020. First to Kadjaran, then to Latchine, from where they walked to Khtsaberd, in south-western Artsakh.
“ There was no longer any fighting in this area, even after the ceasefire. Their mission was simply to guard the positions and watch over the Hadrout plain. Their post was on a peak, in the mist, more than 20 km from the first village. We phoned him every day and he simply replied that everything was fine. ”
“ On December 12, they were ordered to leave the position so that another group could come and replace them. But when they arrived downstairs, Azerbaijani soldiers were waiting for them,” explains Hrayr's father.
According to information available to the families of the POWs, in violation of the articles of the November 9, 2020 agreement, the Azeri army surrounded the Armenian position, imprisoning 62 Armenian soldiers, while the detachment commander, vice-colonel A. Ghazarian, along with 38 other soldiers, managed to escape. Several trials are currently underway at the Armenian Military Court to clarify this case.
Hrayr Tadevosyan is one of 33 prisoners of war whose captivity has been confirmed by Azerbaijan. This means that every forty days, the Red Cross visits them in prison in Baku.
“ We can talk to him on the phone. On site, they also record a short video with all the prisoners so that we can see them. And we too can record a video and send it to him. When you compare their pre-war photos with the ones we received recently, they look like they're sixty years old. It's a sight to behold. They are oppressed both physically and mentally. Those who record the videos have hinted to us that they are being tortured. ”
“ Those who have returned from captivity don't say much about what's going on there, they only talk about it in broad strokes. But they don't say everything, because their comrades are still there and they don't want to give the Azeris new pretexts for mistreating them. ” Azerbaijan's accusation against Hrayr and his other comrades is that they “illegally entered Azerbaijani territory”.
“ But when my son and his detachment were deployed to Khtsaberd, this territory was under Armenian control, and was to remain so under the November 9 agreements. After the ceasefire was signed, it was the Russians who were supposed to deploy on this territory, but they refused to do so. They gave this territory to Azerbaijan, and our soldiers with it “.
The families of prisoners of war are desperately seeking those responsible for their misfortune, since no one is taking responsibility. But they remain lucid.
“ There isn't a national or international structure that we haven't approached. We have collectively visited every possible embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the National Security Service, and submitted written requests. But for the past two years, there has been no progress. I'm not denying the work that has been done to bring back a certain number of prisoners, but in my case, it makes no difference. As long as my son hasn't returned, all this work has no value for me. Azerbaijan uses them as bargaining chips. We thought Europe could put pressure on Azerbaijan, but since they signed a gas deal, it seems naive. ”
According to Vardan Tadevosyan, if a peace treaty is signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian prisoners of war will be released: “ Azerbaijan can try them or do what it wants, but according to the Geneva Convention they have the status of prisoners of war and if peace is signed, they will have to be released. Last year, Azerbaijan already released some of the prisoners and gave them amnesty as a sign of “goodwill ”.
“ Hope dies last. We hope that Hrayr will come back, that we'll all be together again. It's a daily torture. Sometimes we're in complete despair, and other times we manage to pull ourselves together, telling ourselves that soon he' ll need us. That's our hope: to stay strong so we can help him when he comes back. ”