Family of Armenian Man Held Captive in Azerbaijan Has Had No News for 1 Month

The family of resident of the village of Verin Karmiraghbyur of Tavush marz (province) Arsen Khojoyan, 22, who on March 7 crossed the border into Azerbaijan, is in a state of uncertainty, impatiently waiting for news about him.  

"We're in a terrible situation; we are all waiting for our child to come home. On March 12, through the Red Cross, he sent a letter with two lines, 'Hello, I love you,' and to the bride — that's all," said Arsen's mother, Svetlana Khojoyan, in an interview with Epress.am. She says they received no news about her son after that. 

What happened, Svetlana Khojoyan said, continues to remain a mystery to them, but she is sure that her son wouldn't cross the border of his own will. 

"On the first day, he had gone down to tend to the animals [i.e. the cattle] and replace his father, and his father had come to eat. Well, our pasture is right along the border, and we keep all the animals there. That day, we were constantly speaking on the phone to each other, then the line went dead. He would never do such a thing. They've taken him or he got lost," concluded Khojoyan. 

The Yerevan office of the International Committee of the Red Cross informed Epress.am that ICRC staff continue to negotiate for the return of Khojoyan, as well as other citizens of Armenia who are held captive to Armenia. 

"We continue to liaise with our Baku office. Negotiations are ongoing," said Zara Amatuni of the ICRC Yerevan office.