Pashinyan says Azerbaijan handed 4 individuals to Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that Azerbaijan has handed four individuals to his country via the border between the two South Caucasus neighbors.

"Gevorg Sujyan, Davit Davtyan, Viken Euljekjian and Vagif Khachatryan were just handed over via the Hakari Bridge by the relevant authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the corresponding authorities of the Republic of Armenia and are now on Armenian territory," Pashinyan said in a statement on US social media company Facebook.

Pashinyan expressed in a later post that Sujyan, Davtyan and Euljekjian have no health problems based on a preliminary examination, and Khachatryan's condition was initially assessed as "satisfactory."

He said all four are being transferred to Armenia's capital, Yerevan.

Azerbaijan has yet to comment on the statement, though the Baku-based APA news agency reported that the four individuals were handed over "in accordance with the bilateral agreement reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia and in line with the principles of humanitarianism."

The report said all had been found guilty under various articles of Azerbaijan's criminal code and were serving sentences, while also describing the process as "one of the practical outcomes of the peace established" between Baku and Yerevan.

"During their detention in Azerbaijan, the transferred individuals' rights were fully ensured, and their health conditions and detention conditions met international standards. The convicts were also subjected to medical examinations prior to being sent to Armenia, which confirmed that their health conditions were normal," it said.

"Among them, Vagif Khachaturyan, whose health condition was not satisfactory, was provided with all necessary medical assistance and remained under constant medical supervision," it added.

In August, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a declaration at the White House, alongside US President Donald Trump, to end decades of conflict, with commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes and normalize relations.