Armenian law enforcement authorities have confirmed the withdrawal of an international arrest warrant for Kamil Zeynalli, an Azerbaijani national accused of beheading an elderly Armenian civilian during the 2020 Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war, reports Zartonk Media.
The beheading was documented on video and uploaded on social media.
Zeynalli was detained by Russian police in February 2024 at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport due to the Armenian warrant. He was released and returned to Baku several hours later following an intervention from the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia.
At the time, the Armenian Interior Ministry stated that Zeynalli was wanted for allegedly beheading an elderly resident of Artsakh’s Hadrut district who had been captured by Azerbaijani forces during the war.
Zeynalli, according to the media reports, is a recipient of Azeri medals for his military service. According to the reports, the man is now a ‘blogger’ and a ‘fitness trainer’.
He has stated that the international search had been revoked “thanks to the efforts of our state.”
Armenia’s Interior Ministry and Prosecutor-General’s Office confirmed this development in statements released on April 9.
They noted that last year Armenia and Azerbaijan had reaffirmed a 2007 “understanding” not to initiate or continue international searches for each other’s citizens within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including Russia.
This development comes amid a broader shift in Armenia’s legal strategy concerning Azerbaijan.
In recent months, the Armenian government has signaled readiness to withdraw international lawsuits filed against Azerbaijan since the 2020 war. This forms part of its ongoing negotiations around a potential peace treaty. The finalized treaty text reportedly includes mutual agreement to drop legal cases in international courts.
Less than a month before the arrest warrant was dropped, the Armenian government announced its intention to withdraw these cases after agreeing to Azerbaijani proposals aimed at finalizing the treaty.
The move has been criticized by Armenian opposition politicians, human rights advocates, and activists, who view the decision as a concession.
In this context, the resignation of Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s Representative for International Legal Affairs, has also drawn attention. Kirakosyan had led Armenia’s Office for International Legal Affairs since 2020 and was responsible for overseeing the country’s cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The Prime Minister’s press office stated that Kirakosyan’s resignation was a personal decision made by mutual agreement and denied media claims that the entire office had resigned. No official reason was provided.
In an interview with Armenian Public Television on November 22, 2024, Pashinyan said that if there were a real opportunity for lasting peace, Armenia would be ready to withdraw its claims against Azerbaijan on a reciprocal basis.
About two weeks after Pashinyan’s statement, on December 9, 2024, Kirakosyan told reporters that Armenia had no plans to withdraw its lawsuits against Azerbaijan from international courts, stating.
“The cases continue to proceed, along with necessary procedural steps to ensure their examination.”
The cases in question include Armenia’s ICJ lawsuit accusing Azerbaijan of racial discrimination, war crimes, and destruction of cultural heritage, as well as several ECHR cases addressing prisoner mistreatment, territorial violations, and forced displacement.
