YEREVAN. March 30 (Interfax) - The special investigations directorate of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic's (NKR) investigative committee has opened a criminal case on treason and spying charges against The HALO Trust, an organization handling a charity project in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The HALO Trust (Hazardous Area Life-support Organization) introduces itself as a non-political and non-religious registered British charity and American non-profit organization focused, in particular, on removing land mines and other unexploded munitions after wars.
Boris Avagyan, envoy of the NKR president, earlier told the Armenian news website 24News that The HALO Trust had provided the Turkish special services with a map of mined areas, "which enabled the enemy to successfully overcome the NKR Defense Army's mined defense areas during the military actions."
Under the guise of examining potentially dangerous areas before clearing them of explosives, "this organization, in fact, pursued spying activities," he said.
The HALO Trust has denied the charges that it was engaged in spying in favor of Turkish special services.
"The HALO Trust is aware of a claim that it handed minefield maps to Turkish forces before or during the 2020 conflict over Karabakh. [...] For over 20 years, HALO has worked in Karabakh to make the local people safe. The HALO Trust is only able to operate in conflict zones around the world because it is a totally non-political and neutral organization. The claim [of espionage] is totally false," the organization said in a statement.