Family members of Azerbaijanis detained in Nagorno-Karabakh appeal to Russian President

Relatives of Dilgam Askerov and Shakhbaz Guliev, the natives of the Kalbadjar District of Azerbaijan, who were detained in Nagorno-Karabakh, have appealed to the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ambassador in Baku Vladimir Dorokhin asking for assistance in releasing them.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 10 the press service of the Defence Army of Nagorno-Karabakh announced the detention of several Azerbaijani militaries, including Shakhbaz Guliev, a native of the village of Gapanlu, at "an attempt of a diversion-scouting penetration into the Azerbaijani territory." The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that the above detainee was not a serviceman. The official Baku treats Guliev and Askerov, detained in Nagorno-Karabakh, as hostages.

The appeal to Vladimir Putin was signed by Askerov's wife Firuza Askerova, his son Kyurdoglu Askerov and Albina Veselova, the wife of Shakhbaz Guliev, the State Committee for Refugees of Azerbaijan has reported today.

The appeal to Russian top officials for help was caused by the fact that Askerov has Russian citizenship, and Guliev's wife is also a citizen of the Russian Federation.