YEREVAN STATES CHARGE PREFERRED AGAINST ARMENIAN PILOTS DETAINED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA AS DISCREPANT

The charge brought against 6 Armenian pilots, who were detained March 8 in Equatorial Guinea on suspicion of attempt of coup d’etat, are rather discrepant, RA MFA press secretary Hamlet Gasparian stated. In his words, the Guinean authorities represent them as “war-hirelings”, while they are just professional pilots working in the capital city of Malabo due to the contract with KAL German company since January 2004 and exploiting airplane An-12 registered in Armenia. Besides, H. Gasparian noted, according to the Guinean party, the Armenian aviators had arrived in country by ship, but as a matter of fact they had flown there by their own plane. In the words of the RA MFA press secretary, the suspicions of the Guinean leadership that the Armenian pilots collected information seem to lack logic, as knowing neither the native tongue nor the territory and traditions, they could have hardly been engaged in undercover work. At the same time H. Gasparian emphasized that Armenia through its diplomatic representations in Moscow and New York is undertaking all the possible measured to clarify the situation and provide the Armenian citizens with the essential legal assistance. RA MFA appealed to friendly third countries such as Russia and France to enable their diplomatic representative offices in Malabo to render assistance to the arrested. As reported by the Armenian MFA spokesman, an official from the French Embassy had already visited the Armenian prisoners and found their health state satisfactory. Yerevan also turned to the Red Cross International Committee and International Amnesty organization. In case of necessity, the Armenian ministry of foreign affairs is ready to send its officials to Equatorial Guinea to concern with the issue of the Armenian aviators, RA MFA press secretary said.