Law 14:11 27/02/2021 Armenia

Ombudsman denounces Azerbaijan’s efforts to politicize issue of Armenian POWs’ return

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan denounced the Azerbaijani authorities’ move to politicize the return of the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs).

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Tatoyan condemned Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement calling Armenian prisoners “terrorists”.

“We carried out an anti-terror operation, as a result of which more than 60 terrorists were arrested. They are now referred to as prisoners of war. We believe this is a misrepresentation of the issue, because 20 days after the end of the war there can be no POWs. We returned all the prisoners of war before they [Armenia, ed.] had returned our prisoners to us. And those persons are not POWs, they are terrorists and saboteurs,” Aliyev said.

“The ombudsman of Armenia once again resolutely states that all Armenian servicemen and civilians held in Azerbaijan have the status of prisoners of war. All the servicemen were in Artsakh to fulfill their constitutional duties; they performed military service in Artsakh as prescribed by law.

“Credible evidence collected by the Human Rights Defender's Office confirms that the number of captured persons is actually higher than confirmed by the Azerbaijani authorities. It refers also to the period preceding the return of a group of 44 prisoners.

“The human rights defender has registered numerous cases when, despite the cases documented by videos and other evidence, the Azerbaijani authorities denied the capture of those persons or delayed the confirmation process.

“Initiating criminal proceedings against the Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, arresting them and calling them "terrorists" or "saboteurs" are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in general,” the ombudsman said, citing the Third Geneva Convention of 1949.

He underlined that in the post-war period, human rights or humanitarian issues, including the release of POWs, must be resolved immediately after the cessation of hostilities and must be kept away from the political processes.

“The statement of the Azerbaijani president that 20 days after the end of the war there can be no prisoners of war, thus calling the prisoners "saboteurs" or “terrorists” is absolutely unacceptable. It is inadmissible to interpret the November 9 tripartite statement as if it applies only to the situation before the signing of the statement,” Tatoyan said, stating the statement “didn’t put an end to the ongoing armed conflict”.

In addition, he said, the Azeri leader’s statements directly contradicts the intentions of the parties that signed the November 9 statement and the implementation of its clauses.

“In particular, pursuant to Clause 8 of the statement, the Republic of Armenia has already handed over to Azerbaijan two persons who were convicted for committing crimes in Artsakh, including murder of civilians. Following the same principle, Azerbaijan handed over to Armenia Armenians formally convicted in that country.

“Armenia and Azerbaijan also exchanged captives after the November 9 tripartite statement. Thus, this statement must be applied to all situations both before and after November 9 as long as there is an objective need for the protection of human rights and the humanitarian processes in the aftermath of hostilities,” the ombudsman noted.

Also, he said the urgency of the repatriation of Armenian prisoners should be considered in the context of the policy of Armenophobia in Azerbaijan, which has been repeatedly confirmed by the reports published by him on the basis of objective evidence.

“Therefore, it is absolutely reprehensible that the issue of the release and return of the Armenian POWs in Baku is clearly politicized, while the legal processes are distorted and abused.

“All this grossly violates the humanitarian processes and international human rights. Therefore, they must be released without any preconditions and returned safely to Armenia.

“I call the attention of the international community, particularly international organizations mandated to protect human rights, to the statement of Azerbaijan’s president to rule out any violations of the humanitarian processes and to ensure their strict compliance with international human rights law,” Tatoyan said. 



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:05
Expert: Aliyev's statements serve Pashinyan's domestic political goals
In a televised interview in early 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made fresh threats against Armenia. However, the Armenian leadership...
16:30
Yerevan mayor announces new changes to transport fares
Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan has announced changes to the city's public transport fares that will be approved at the upcoming City Council...
16:00
Pashinyan 'shocked' by deadly ski resort fire in Turkey
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed shock over the devastating hotel fire at a ski resort in Turkey's Bolu...
15:35
15 candidates self-nominated for Chamber of Advocates Council
Fifteen candidates have self-nominated for the Council of Armenia's Chamber of Advocates. The election will take place at its general...
15:00
New head of Armenian parliament health committee named
The pro-government majority in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday elected MP Arsen Torosyan as new head of the Standing Committee on Health...
14:36
MP: Turkey and Azerbaijan assessing risks of new aggression against Armenia
Tigran Abrahamyan, an MP from the opposition Pativ Unem faction in the Armenian parliament, claims that Donald Trump's return to the White...
13:53
Public transport fare increase in Yerevan based on outdated calculations, expert says
Babken Pipoyan, head of the Informed and Protected Consumer NGO, has criticized the upcoming increase in public transport fares in Yerevan,...
13:10
Expert calls for replacement of Armenian ambassador to U.S.
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan has urged Armenia’s authorities to appoint a new ambassador to the United States under the Donald...
12:34
Alexander Sirunyan withdraws candidacy for SJC membership
Alexander Sirunyan on Wednesday officially withdrew his candidacy as a member of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), Lurer quoted Hayk...
12:12
National Gallery of Armenia opens exhibition on Artsakh
An exhibition of Yerevan-based artist Lousineh Navasartian's Silence project has opened at the National Gallery of Armenia....
11:36
Lobbyist for genocide denialist Turkey should donate earnings to Armenians
By Harut Sassounian www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com Former Cong. Bob Livingston published a commentary in the Wall Street Journal last week...
11:20
Drivers warned of icy roads in parts of Armenia
The Rescue Service has warned drivers about a road closure and icy conditions in Armenia. In particular, the road connecting the Amberd high...
11:12
Armenia offers condolences to Turkey over deadly ski resort fire
The Armenia Foreign Ministry has extended condolences to Turkey following the deadly fire at a ski resort hotel that killed at least...
17:00
Newmag to publish Henrikh Mkhitaryan's autobiography
Newmag will release Armenian football star Henrikh Mkhitaryan's autobiography this year, its founder Artak Aleksanyan has...
16:35
Russia's Lavrov announces plans to visit Armenia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced his plans to visit Yerevan following talks with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat...
16:21
Discussions on Minsk Group dissolution underway, Armenian speaker says
Discussions are underway regarding the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters on...
15:45
Trump orders US to leave WHO
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organization...
15:30
Temperatures to drop further in Armenia
Dry weather is expected across Armenia throughout this week. The capital Yerevan will also see no precipitation in the coming days....
15:00
Lavrov calls Armenia Russia's natural strategic partner, ally
Yerevan is Moscow’s natural strategic partner and ally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during talks with his Armenian...
14:30
Armenia has no plans to quit EAEU, parliament speaker says
Armenia has no plans to leave the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan claims. “The EAEU...
13:53
Armenian, Russian FMs hold talks in Moscow
The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in enlarged format has...
13:35
Ex-minister calls for abolishing asset declaration in Armenia
Economist Mesrop Arakelyan, a former minister of labor and social affairs, has called for the cancellation of Armenia’s...
13:00
Mirzoyan congratulates Marco Rubio on his confirmation as US secretary of state
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has congratulated Marco Rubio on his unanimous confirmation as U.S. Secretary of State....
12:36
Kindergarten fire in Armenian town forces evacuation of 117 children
A fire broke out at a kindergarten in Spitak, a town in Armenia’s Lori Province, on Tuesday morning. Two fire and rescue crews were...
12:12
Opposition councilor accuses Yerevan authorities of 'shadowy dealings and favoritism'
The opposition Mother Armenia faction of the Yerevan City Council has called an extraordinary session today to discuss the upcoming...
11:46
Henrikh Mkhitaryan celebrates 36th birthday
Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is celebrating his 36th birthday today. The Football Federation of Armenia and Inter have extended...
11:23
Hotel fire at Turkey ski resort kills at least 10
A fire broke out at a hotel at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, killing at least at least 10 people and hospitalizing 32 others,...
11:06
EU delegation briefed about situation on Armenian-Azeri border
The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) hosted EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos last week. "The EU delegation was briefed about the...
17:00
Armenian FM to travel to Moscow
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to Moscow on January 21, his ministry reports. During the...
16:30
37 police officers sacked in Armenia last year
43 police officers in Armenia faced disciplinary action In 2024. Among them, 3 officers received a reprimand, 3 were issued a severe...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}