Armenia drops search for Azerbaijani who beheaded elderly Armenian man — but why?
Search over for Azerbaijani who beheaded Armenian man
Armenia is in uproar over the decision to end the search for Azerbaijani national Kamil Zeynalli, accused of a brutal wartime killing. During the 2020 war, Zeynalli beheaded an elderly Armenian man in the town of Hadrut, Nagorno-Karabakh. The authenticity of videos showing the killing was confirmed by investigative journalists from The Guardian and Bellingcat.
“I was recently congratulated with the news that the arrest warrant issued by our enemies [referring to Armenia] has been lifted thanks to the efforts of our [Azerbaijani] state,” Zeynalli announced.
In response to media inquiries, Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said that last year, Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed a bilateral agreement dating back to 2007. According to this deal, both sides agreed to refrain from initiating or pursuing interstate arrest warrants for each other’s citizens within the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).
However, international law experts say they are unaware of such a 2007 agreement. They called the termination of the search for Zeynalli — who beheaded an elderly civilian — “contradictory and illogical.”
International lawyer Siranush Sahakyan suggested that the Armenian authorities’ decision seemed to reflect a political calculation:
“Not to anger or disturb the Azerbaijani authorities — hoping they’ll take a constructive stance and sign peace agreements.”
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In 2024, Russian police briefly detained then released Zeynalli
Kamil Zeynalli, a self-described fitness blogger, was detained by Russian police at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport in February 2024, just before flying to Baku. At the time, Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed he was wanted on murder charges.
However, Russian authorities released Zeynalli without waiting for the Armenian Prosecutor General’s formal extradition request. He returned to Baku, where he was welcomed as a hero. Armenian experts condemned Russia’s actions as unlawful.
Over the past year, Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs gave no public updates on the case or the search.
Expert opinion
International law expert Siranush Sahakyan stated that international law requires the prosecution of war criminals.
She believes Armenia’s decision to drop the search for Kamil Zeynalli is politically motivated — to avoid provoking Baku during the fragile peace process:
“We view this situation in the context of ongoing political developments. Armenia is withdrawing from interstate legal cases and seems intent on avoiding any future filings. It is also refusing to raise the issue of international sanctions against Azerbaijani perpetrators — or even individual criminal accountability.”
Sahakyan questioned why Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office issued a warrant for Zeynalli in the first place if a 2007 agreement with Azerbaijan indeed existed.
International law expert Ara Kazaryan said that, like most in Armenian society, he had never heard of the 2007 agreement:
“The public should have been informed. Especially given that Azerbaijan has repeatedly told the European Court of Human Rights that no legal agreements can exist with Armenia until a peace treaty is signed and diplomatic relations are established.”
Kazaryan stressed that if the Interior Ministry is citing a document that hasn’t been published, it cannot be considered legally valid. For any such agreement to take effect, it must first be made public.
Even if such an agreement was once reached, Kazaryan argued, it cannot apply to war crimes:
“Those who commit crimes like this cannot go unpunished simply because two states decide so. No document can exempt war criminals from justice — these are crimes of an international nature.”
Search over for Azerbaijani who beheaded Armenian man
