Mamikon Khojoyan, a resident of 77 years of an Armenian village border, died yesterday more than two months after his return from captivity in Azerbaijan with serious sequelae.

Khojoyan visited Azerbaijan on January 2 in unclear circumstances. He lived in the town Verin Karmiraghbyur in Tavush region, north of Armenia. He was then arrested by the Azerbaijani villagers and handed over to military authorities.

The Baku authorities said later that Khojoyan was part of an Armenian commando trying to perform a cross-border incursion. Armenian military authorities have denied the allegations, saying he was mentally ill and had strayed into Azerbaijan by accident.

The old man was released and repatriated to Armenia with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross on March 4. He was immediately hospitalized. An RFE / RL that has been allowed to visit the hospital found injuries all over his body. The doctors suggested he had been wounded in detention. The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan has denied any torture.

Khojoyan has undergone further processing before returning to Yerevan Verin Karmiraghbyur last month. According Kamo Chobanian, the village mayor, his health deteriorated sharply there is a week. “The torture suffered in captivity had its effects,” he said.

A few days after the release of Khojoyan, another resident of Verin Karmiraghbyur crossed the border and was detained in similar circumstances. Aged 23 years, Arsen Khojoyan was released a month later. He assured reporters he was not mistreated in detention.