Syrian Mercenary Sent by Turkey to Azerbaijan Arrested

It has been reported that since September 27, 2020, a number of criminal cases have been initiated by the competent authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh regarding the aggressive war unleashed against the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh by the military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in violation of several international treaty obligations, the use of prohibited methods of warfare, and cases of deliberately causing human and material losses in a systematic and premeditated manner.

Furthermore, the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan has continued to use mercenaries belonging to various terrorist groups, ignoring many international conventions and treaties related to the fight against terrorism, and failing to fulfill its obligations under several ceasefire agreements. These mercenaries have engaged in international terrorism, continued actions aimed at destroying people, buildings, structures, roads, means of communication, or other property, using artillery, airstrikes, and drones to strike various settlements in the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia.

On October 29, 2020, during military operations in the Republic of Artsakh, servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army discovered a mercenary named Muhrab Muhammad Al Shakhairi, a member of the Abu Hussein 23 group of the Abu Hamsha brigade, who was transferred from a terrorist camp located in northern Syria to the Republic of Azerbaijan via the Republic of Turkey on October 19, 2020, and directly participated in the described operations. Muhrab Muhammad Al Shakhairi, a resident of the city of Hama, Syria, was born on March 5, 1975.

On October 31, 2020, in connection with cases of aggression against the Republic of Artsakh using previously recruited mercenaries by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, serious violations of the norms of international humanitarian law during armed conflict, issuing criminal orders, and committing international terrorism, Muhrab Muhammad Al Shakhairi was arrested on suspicion of committing crimes under Articles 389, 390 (part 1, point 1, parts 3, points 1 and 2), and 395 (part 3) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.