This week, the court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan arrested Armenia's former deputy defense minister, NA Republican Party of Armenia Faction MP Manvel Grigoryan for two months. Grigoryan, the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union Chairman, was detained by the National Security Service last Saturday, when tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, grenades, explosives and small arms were found in his facilities, as well as a motor-vehicle pool with dozens of cars, a warehouse with food, hygiene products, medicines and military clothes with the inscription "for soldiers."
Commenting on these events, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Tofig Zulfugarov wrote on his Facebook page: "There is a common phrase that crime has no nationality, but speaking of Manvel Grigoryan, lieutenant-general and deputy of the Armenian parliament, I would like to say that there is no difference for the criminal in committing a crime against his compatriots or representatives of other nationalities."
Zulfugarov said that Grigoryan has been in trouble with the law long before 1988, however, the criminal's true colours were fully disclosed during the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of our compatriots. "After the ceasefire came into effect, he applied his irrepressible desire to plunder and steal in relation to his compatriots, about which much has been said these days in the media. It is remarkable that the criminal prosecution has not been initiated against him after he confessed speaking with the Armenian media that he had kept numerous hostages, including minors, for many years, using them as slaves. But the theft of stew from Armenian soldiers caused his arrest, which is presented as a victory of democracy in Armenia today," the Azerbaijani diplomat wrote.
He welcomed the actions of the Armenian authorities aimed at punishing the criminals, but expressed doubt that they are ready to extend justice to the war crimes committed by Manvel Grigoryan, Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan and dozens of others, which, according to Armenian legislation and international law, have no statutory limit.
"I witnessed Vladimir Kazimirov (the head of the Russian mediation mission, presidential envoy on Nagorno-Karabakh and co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group from Russia in 1992-1996 - VK) sying at a meeting with Heydar Aliyev in the autumn of 1993, as if condemning Robert Kocharyan, that he complained that he cannot keep other "field commanders" from seizing more new territories around Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by Azerbaijanis, as they "seek a little bit of plunder." Besides, this seizure will not be for a long time,... "they need to give something to their soldiers,"...and then they will leave these captured territories when they have nothing to loot. After plundering thousands of square kilometers inhabited by Azerbaijanis, these "manvels" have robbed Armenia for decades," Zulfugarov wrote.
According to him, Azerbaijan should render assistance to Armenia and hand over those investigative materials that will help to expose the perpetrators of war crimes. The State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, the Prosecutor's Office and other state bodies and NGOs have thousands of documents, including accounts of hostages and prisoners of war that can be handed over to the Armenian side. The former foreign minister suggests it could be done through the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"I often criticize Vladimir Kazimirov's activities, but I should admit that, because of his assistance, among other things, the last 28 women and children held hostage by the Armenian side were handed over to the Azerbaijani side in the summer of 1994. Why did I just say that? Because the testimony of these and hundreds of other unhappy people who survived all the horrors of captivity and slavery from people like Manvel Grigoryan can help Armenia to bring these bastards to justice not just for stealing stew, "Zulfugarov believes.
