To the question of the Armenian Public TV on the capture and killing of the Armenian citizen Karen Petrosyan, State Department Spokesperson Office stated that United States is deeply concerned by reports on the death of Karen Petrosyan while in Azerbaijan's custody and by allegations that his death was not due to natural causes. The United States offers its sincere condolences to Mr. Petrosyan's family. "We call on the Government of Azerbaijan to conduct a full and transparent investigation into this incident and to make its findings public. We remind the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia of their obligations under international humanitarian law, especially their obligation to treat humanely all those taken into custody. We call on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all detainees and internees held for conflict-related reasons," the Spokesperson said.
The 31-year-old resident of Chinari village Karen Petrosyan, crossed the border while drunk and fell captive to the Azerbaijani forces. In a day, Azerbaijan reported that Petrosyan died of what they call a cardiovascular deficiency. Meanwhile, Armenia insists that Petrosyan died from tortures, as the man did not suffer from any heart problems. The video and photo materials available in the Azerbaijani mass media testify to the inhumane treatment of Karen Petrosyan in Azeri captivity. At present Armenia is collecting the necessary materials to apply to international instances over inhumane treatment of captives in Azerbaijan. Negotiations are underway for repatriation of Petrosyan's body.