Yerevan, Baku reaffirm halting mutual interstate searches

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed their 2007 commitment to suspend interstate wanted notices for each other’s citizens based on mutuality. According to Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the reaffirmation took place in 2024, and there has been no new agreement or cancellation of existing warrants beyond that.

The Ministry’s Department of Public Communications and Awareness reported this to Armenpress, following discussions on social media and in news outlets suggesting that Armenia had revoked wanted notices for Azerbaijani citizens.

"Based on an agreement reached in 2007 between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the parties agreed, on the principle of reciprocity, to suspend interstate searches for citizens of both countries within the territories of the CIS member states," the Ministry stated.

"Given that this agreement has not been violated since 2007, both parties reaffirmed in 2024 their commitment to continue refraining from issuing or maintaining such notices."

Earlier, Azerbaijani fitness trainer and blogger Kamil Zeynalli, known for his anti-Armenian rhetoric and actions, claimed that the search warrant against him had been lifted. Zeynalli had previously been wanted by Armenian law enforcement.

During the 44-day war in 2020, Zeynalli reportedly decapitated an Armenian in Artsakh, documented the act, and shared the images online. He later claimed to have been rewarded by Azerbaijani authorities for crimes against Armenians, though he subsequently dismissed this as a "joke."