Savchenko Did Not Support Azerbaijani Saboteurs

Recently the Azerbaijani media spread information according to which Deputy of the Ukrainian Parliament Nadezhda Savchenko has expressed her support to the Azerbaijani saboteurs convicted in Nagorno Karabakh.

In particular, reference was made to Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov, who, according to official Stepanakert, had crossed the state border of Nagorno Karabakh, performed reconnaissance operations, kidnapped and later killed an adolescent, 17-year old Smbat Tsakanyan.

Some Armenian media outlets also spread this information from the Azerbaijani media, making an attempt to worsen the relations between Armenia and Ukraine.

However, in response to our inquiry, the press service of Ukrainian Parliament Deputy Nadezhda Savchenko refuted this information spread by the Azerbaijani media.

In particular, we were told that, “Ahmad Shahidov has told the story of Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov, but before making any comments, Ms. Savchenko has asked to provide the case-related documents. So far she has not received any documents except from photographs.  

Savchenko personally has never made any statement regarding this topic… Ms. Savchenko will make a statement on the case when she gets informed about all the details”.

This means that Savchenko has not defended Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov. She has merely studied their photograph shown to her by Ahmad Shahidov, and which the Azerbaijani media have interpreted as support to the aforementioned convicts.

P.S. Note that the Stepanakert Residence of the General Jurisdiction Court of First Instance of Nagorno Karabakh Republic announced the verdict for Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov on December 29, 2014. Asgarov was sentenced to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in prison. The main crime attributed to both Azerbaijanis was the murder of 17-year-old Smbat Tsakanyan.