Azerbaijani shepherd crossed into Armenia
Armenian media report that an Azerbaijani shepherd crossed the border into Armenia and was taken to a military police station. However, Azerbaijan‘s State Border Service says no such incident occurred in territory under its control. Meanwhile, Armenia’s security authorities have neither confirmed nor denied reports of the man’s detention.
According to reports published on 21 October, the man crossed the border before being found and taken to a military police station in the Armenian town of Berd. However, statements made throughout the day failed to clarify the key circumstances of the incident:
Who is the man, when and where did he cross the border, and where is he now?
How did reports of the incident emerge?
Armenian outlet NewsTV5 was the first to report the incident. According to NEWS.am, one community head in Tavush Region said he had heard about the incident but had no reliable information. Another community head said the man had crossed the border from the direction of Aygedzor and had been detained by military police.
Armenia’s National Security Service also neither confirmed nor denied the reports in response to journalists’ enquiries. The agency advised journalists to submit a written request and follow official announcements.
The Armenian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Azatutyun) was also unable to establish the exact date of the alleged border crossing. As the outlet notes, it remains unclear whether the incident occurred on 21 October or several days earlier.
Asylum seeking not ruled out
The initial report suggested that the man may have crossed the border deliberately rather than accidentally, with the intention of seeking political asylum. One local community head, who was not named, told TV5 about this possibility. However, there have been no statements from the man himself or official reports confirming that he has applied for asylum.
If confirmed, this could significantly change the circumstances of the case. Returning a shepherd who accidentally crossed the border and processing an application for political asylum are two different legal situations. However, it remains unclear whether the man has even sought asylum.
What does Azerbaijan’s State Border Service deny?
In response to an enquiry from Modern.az, Azerbaijan’s State Border Service said that “no such incident had occurred in territory under the agency’s responsibility”.
However, the statement does not provide a definitive answer as to whether the border may have been crossed elsewhere. The agency also did not clarify whether the section of the border mentioned by Armenian media falls within its area of responsibility.
Has Armenia confirmed reports of the incident?
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, responding to a question about the incident, said that shepherds could lose their way and accidentally cross the border in either direction.
The minister stressed the importance of resolving such situations constructively. However, Armenpress, which published his remarks, separately noted that reports of the shepherd crossing the border remained unconfirmed.
In a subsequent report, NEWS.am said Mirzoyan had stated that he had no information about the specific incident. Therefore, the minister’s comments on how to handle cases of accidental border crossings cannot be regarded as official confirmation of the man’s detention.
The identity of the man mentioned in media reports has not been disclosed. His current whereabouts and whether his family has been informed of the incident also remain unknown. The lack of detailed comments from officials could fuel speculation about possible behind-the-scenes negotiations over his return.
However, there is no evidence that such negotiations are taking place. Establishing the reasons behind the lack of official information would require both sides to provide specific answers to key questions: Has the man’s identity been established, has contact been made with him, and has he applied for political asylum?
Azerbaijani serviceman previously detained in Armenia
Reports about the shepherd emerged three weeks after another Azerbaijani citizen was detained in Armenia. On 1 October, serviceman Nasimi Musayev was detained in the village of Shaki in Syunik Region. According to Armenian investigators, he entered a residential building and opened fire, wounding a woman. Criminal proceedings have been launched against Musayev, and a court has ordered that he be held in pre-trial detention for two months.
On 6 October, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the serviceman would remain in Armenia for at least some time, as legal proceedings in his case would take place in the country. Pashinyan declined to link Musayev’s return to the fate of Armenian prisoners held in Baku. According to him, the two sides had agreed to deal with the return of military personnel separately from other cases.
On 8 October, Pashinyan also said that Azerbaijan had not requested the serviceman’s handover. The prime minister explained that this was because Musayev was suspected of committing a crime on Armenian territory.
