Thanks to Heydar Aliyev, hundreds of Azerbaijanis got freed from Armenian captivity - Azerbaijani Army colonel

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. Azerbaijani State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons was engaged in the release of prisoners of war and hostages from Armenian captivity during the first Karabakh war, a veteran of security agencies, Colonel Azer Garayzade said within Trend News Agency's "Relevant with Sahil Karimli" project.

According to Garayzade, only five-seven people could be released from the captivity through the commission.

“However, after Heydar Aliyev came to power, we were able to free more Azerbaijanis from captivity,” he said. “Thanks to the personal connections and special determination of Heydar Aliyev, by means of Russian political circles, a significant number of people were freed from captivity.”

Hundreds who were waiting for families, mothers, fathers, brothers, and wives, were given new life, Garayzade noted.

“On May 8, 1996, the leadership instructed me to urgently go to Armenia with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov. By agreement, we were to return 36 Armenian prisoners of war held by us to the Armenian side, and to deliver 67 Azerbaijani prisoners and hostages to Azerbaijan,” he said.

He also reminded that they passed through the necessary procedures in Armenia and that on May 10 they had to return back.

“After the Azerbaijani prisoners and hostages were put on the plane, I counted them, since I had a list. As it turned out, one was missing. We were about to take off at that time," he recalled.

Garayzade approached Primakov and said that there were 66 people on the plane, whilst 67 people were indicated in the list.

“Primakov ordered the plane to wait. We came down with him. He sent his bodyguards to the Red Cross cars that were still there. They [bodyguards] went towards the cars and took one prisoner, who could barely move, and delivered him to the plane," he said.

Besides, according to him, upon arrival in Baku, a big solemn ceremony was held at the airport on the occasion of their return.

"There were many well-known people in the republic, our ministers, other senior officials, journalists. This once again proves that this event was also under the control of the great leader Heydar Aliyev. In general, the issue of prisoners and hostages has always been under the control of Heydar Aliyev," Garayzade said.