The RA Investigative Committee presented a denial clarification regarding the non-torture of the 17 service members returned to the Republic of Armenia by the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 4, 2022.

"The answer given to one of the websites by the press secretary of the RA Investigative Committee needs some clarifications and, in some parts, a refutation. Due to the mentioned circumstance, we consider it necessary to inform you that the necessary investigative and operational activities were carried out and currently are being carried out with the 17 service members mentioned above in the Military Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee, in particular, interrogations were carried out, samples were obtained for the appointment of expertise, forensic medical examinations were appointed. And other examinations, the servicemen were presented to the "Forensic Medicine Research and Practice Center" of the RA Ministry of Health for examination.

The interrogations with the participation of the returned prisoners of war are still in progress; therefore, as of October 5, 2022, the body implementing the criminal proceedings could not objectively provide Vardan Tadevosyan, the public relations officer of the Investigative Committee, with information about the results of the investigation operation that has not yet been completed.

From what has been said, it follows that in the above response, the official of the RA Investigative Committee could not confirm the fact that the Armenian service members were not tortured, and what was published is the result of a wrong understanding of the questions and answers given during a short telephone interview. The press spokesperson only intended to inform about the circumstances of torture—the reality of not having information.

With all this, we consider it necessary to inform that the published information about the fact that the servicemen were not seriously injured or tortured does not correspond to reality," the statement said.