URGENT: Armenian Teens Vanish Near Azerbaijani Military Posts in Occupied Artsakh Territory — Feared Captured by Azerbaijani Forces Near Tegh Village in Syunik

INTERVIEW: On June 6, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) reported that Karen Jhangiryan (born June 27, 2007) and Andrey Gyagunts (born January 13, 2008)—both minors from the village of Tegh—somehow crossed into territory now controlled by Azerbaijan. The area in question is not an ordinary border zone: it is land that once belonged to the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), now occupied by Azerbaijani forces following the disastrous 2020 war and 2023 occupation.

According to officials and local witnesses, the two boys were last seen around 1:20 a.m. on Friday, June 6. They had set out on horseback to retrieve their horses near the border, in the pastures of Aravus, which lie dangerously close to Azerbaijani military positions—only a few hundred meters away.

Argam Hovsepyan, a member of the Tegh municipal council, told The Armenian Report that the boys had finished the 12th grade and were familiar with the area. However, this time they never returned.

“They’re both young guys, just finished the 12th grade,” Hovsepyan said. “They rode out to get their horses from the other side, near the enemy posts. They went—and apparently, they were taken.”

The boys’ families lost contact with them shortly after they departed. It remains unclear whether they were kidnapped, captured, or simply lost and stumbled across the Azerbaijani-controlled line.

Yet, according to former Human Rights Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, Azerbaijani armed forces have now transferred the boys to an undisclosed location. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan issued a short statement confirming that the boys are on Azerbaijani-controlled territory but offered no further information.

This tragic event is a somber reminder that much of Armenia’s border—particularly in Syunik—is now an unsecured and unstable frontline. Villages like Aravus  are located just meters from Azerbaijani military positions, and residents live under constant fear.

What makes this situation even more painful is that the area where the boys disappeared was originally part of the Republic of Artsakh, populated and governed by Armenians for decades. 

While criminal proceedings have been initiated in Armenia on the grounds of kidnapping, many Armenians are growing frustrated with what they see as a passive and slow response from their own government. Over 12 hours passed before any official information was released. Even now, no coordinated or forceful diplomatic or military measures appear to have been taken to secure the boys’ safe return.

The Armenian public has witnessed a troubling pattern over the past year: repeated incidents of border kidnappings, armed attacks, and provocations from Azerbaijan, often met with little more than statements from Yerevan. Many question whether the government is doing enough to protect its citizens and assert Armenia’s sovereignty.

The safe return of Karen and Andrey must be the highest priority. The Armenian government must pursue urgent international action, including raising the case in global forums and demanding accountability. Further inaction will only embolden future aggressions and deepen the sense of abandonment among border communities.

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