Azerbaijani soldier wants to become citizen of Armenia

Rafik Rakhman Ogly Gasanov, a serviceman of the Azerbaijani Army, who surrendered to the Armenian party under obscure circumstances, has announced his desire to receive citizenship of Armenia, as the Ministry of Defence of Armenia reports.

"I've come to Armenia on my own will, and I'll become a citizen of Armenia, and I'll never get back to Azerbaijan, where I was beaten and humiliated," said Mr Gasanov.

Rakhman Ogly Gasanov, 19, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on October 8 and voluntary surrendered to the Armenian party, the Panorama.am Agency writes.

On December 18, the Armenian Ministry of Defence disseminated a video interview, where Gasanov tells about numerous cases of corruption in the Azerbaijan Army, abuse of soldiers and boozes held by officers. Rafik Gasanov asserted that during his service they had tried to strangle him and beat him almost every day, the IA "News of Armenia" writes.

The Azerbaijani Agency "Trend News" reports in its turn that the soldier's father treated the information that his did not want to come back home as provocation. "If my son has said this, he did it under pressure," Rafik Gasanov's father is sure. He added that his son's letter to the family written on December 12 states that he wants to return home.