The version of Nasimi Musaev's accidental crossing of the border sparked a debate on social media.
The Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musaev may have gotten lost in the mountains and not even realized that he ended up on Armenian territory, but if proven guilty, he should face punishment, noted commentators from Azerbaijan on social media. Users from Armenia questioned how an armed Azerbaijani serviceman passed by border guards and why he was able to go almost 20 kilometers deep into the country.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 2, a court in Armenia arrested Azerbaijani conscript Nasimi Musaev for two months, who was detained on October 1 after an incident in the village of Shaki in the Syunik region. According to the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office, Musaev entered a house and opened fire, injuring a 38-year-old woman, and medical assistance was also required for her two children. A criminal case has been initiated against Musaev on five charges, including illegal border crossing, illegal arms trafficking, violation of the inviolability of the home, and causing serious harm to health.
The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan reported that the serviceman had unilaterally left his unit in the Lachin direction and had been wanted since September 26.
On the "Caucasian Knot" Facebook page*, which has about 164,000 followers, two posts about the detention of Nasimi Musaev in Armenia were published. As of 13:40 MSK on October 5, these posts collectively received 405 reactions and 1777 comments.
Users from Armenia and Azerbaijan discussed the circumstances of the incident, the possible punishment for the serviceman, and the security of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Baku commentators demanded a fair investigation
Azerbaijani users doubted the version of a deliberate attack and suggested that Nasimi Musaev might have accidentally found himself in Armenia. "He got lost, hadn’t eaten or slept for several days. He wandered into a house where no one was, to eat and sleep. The owners came, got scared of him, attacked, and injured him with a knife, and in response, he shot in the leg. If he had bad intentions, he could have shot everyone," suggested user Kama.
"We need to find out the true reason for how he ended up in the house; maybe he really got lost, it can be foggy and dark in the mountains at night, and anything can happen," noted Elmira Aliyeva.
"The young soldier ended up outside the border for some reason, went into a house to eat..." believes Məzahir Xəlilov.
At the same time, some Azerbaijani users felt that if the accusations were confirmed, the serviceman should face punishment. "If our serviceman committed a crime against this family without any grounds [...] then there is no justification for him. If all this is not fabricated and not staged, then the detainee should face the harshest punishment," stated Ali Alekperov.
"If guilty, he deserves punishment," noted Elkhan Jafarov. "If guilty, then he deserves it, despite being Azerbaijani," emphasized Natig Adigozalov.
Other users called for not escalating the situation until all circumstances are clarified. "We should not react until all circumstances of this incident are fully clarified and exchange 'compliments' on social media, this applies to both sides," urged Chingiz M-z.
"Of course, this turned out badly. It doesn’t matter what nationality: if he committed a crime, he must answer to the full extent of the law. I hope the authorities will sort it out and the guilty will be punished," stated Vagif Aliyev.
Users from Armenia criticized the border guards
Some commentators from Armenia demanded punishment for Nasimi Musaev. "He shouldn’t be sentenced to two months, but to 20 years," declared Marina Seyranyan. "No one should go unpunished," pointed out Anna Ani. "To the fullest extent of the law," demanded Aik Theofanidis.
Other participants in the discussion questioned how an armed serviceman managed to cross the border and walk deep into Armenia. "It’s easy to accuse, but how did he cross the border and walk through an Armenian village in Azerbaijani military uniform with an automatic rifle... Are there even Armenian border guards there?!" questioned Mixo Karapet.
"Did he get lost, cross the border, and walk almost 20 kilometers deep, not even to a border village, entered a house, aimed an automatic weapon at a woman, and shot? [...] If he was lost, he could have resolved the issue differently, approached, and said: call the Ministry of Internal Affairs or someone from the government, I’m lost," noted Aram Chilingaryan.
"The border is open, a thoroughfare. Where are the border guards?" asked Naira Arakelyan.
Some users linked the incident and the ensuing debate to the prospects for peaceful relations between the two countries. "Here’s the peace they want," wrote Shushana Amiryan.
"I just want to live to see the day when people truly come to peace. Peace to all," wished Karina Atoyan.
"Let’s live in harmony! The authorities will sort it out; if guilty, he will face punishment. Let’s live in peace and do everything so that the new generation of both nations lives in harmony!" urged Franco Osipov.