Your trusted source

Parents of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) being held in Azerbaijan on Friday blocked all the roads leading to Shirak Province, demanding the immediate repatriation of their sons.

The protest came after Armenian premier’s spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan told media outlets that a group of POWs were supposed to be flown to Armenia late on Thursday.

Parents of the captured soldiers gathered at Yerevan’s Erebuni Airport to welcome their sons, however an empty plane landed at the airport.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan's office said in a statement that their repatriation has again been postponed, because Azerbaijan is failing to fulfill Article 8 of the November 9 trilateral statement.

“We will stay here until we are given a clear response. We want to know when our children will be repatriated," said one of the protesting parents.

Another parent underlined that the authorities’ promise to get back the POWs is not enough for them, as they could be deceived again.

"We will stay here until they bring our children back – all of 54 soldiers. We will keep all the roads leading to the region blocked," they said.