Armenia’s security service gives no details on Azerbaijani soldier’s border crossing

Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) has not responded to a media outlet’s official inquiry about how and under what circumstances Azerbaijani Army serviceman Nasimi Musayev crossed the border before being detained in the village of Shaki in Syunik province.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the outlet asked Armenia’s NSS where and on what date and time Musayev crossed the state border, whether the Defense Ministry or the NSS Border Troops were responsible for security in that direction, and how he had evaded surveillance posts.

In its official response, Armenia’s NSS cited the opening of a criminal case by the Investigative Committee and said that disclosing the details raised in the inquiry was beyond its authority.

The agency also said that, under national law, information on the state border protection regime, counterintelligence and the methods, means and plans of operational-search activities constitutes a state secret. It declined to provide further details, adding that information permitted for release is made public in advance.

It was reported on October 1 that Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musayev had been detained in the village of Shaki in Armenia’s Zangezur (Syunik) region. The Armenian side made allegations over the incident, opened a criminal case against the serviceman and ordered him held in pretrial detention for two months.