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Doctor of Law, Former Minister of Justice Gevorg Danielyan urged the Armenian authorities to make active efforts to defend Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) facing trial in Azerbaijan, stating their repatriation is a matter of Armenia’s “international dignity”.

“The issue of prisoners of war does not only concern themselves or their loved ones, it has long ceased to be just a humanitarian issue, it is primarily a matter of our country’s international dignity, and also a very serious issue of responsibility in the future,” the lawyer wrote on Facebook on Friday.

Danielyan stated the Azerbaijanis will present the sham trials of POWs “to everyone as a fact of Armenia’s aggression, confirmed in court” in the near future.

“Even if there was no possibility of freezing all negotiations on the key condition of the return of prisoners of war, even if there was no possibility of involving Armenian lawyers in the sham trials of POWs, it was necessary (now, albeit late, but it is still possible) to hire foreign lawyers for these people to feel at least the slightest bit of protection and attention on the part of their state, so that these so-called sentences are appealed and well-substantiated complaints are lodged with the ECHR as soon as possible,” he said, deploring the “observer’s role” assumed by the authorities.

Danielyan warned against the division into groups of “whites" and "blacks", "former" and "current" in the country, underlining “time is running out”.

“Prisoners of war are not only a target of pity, it doesn't even matter whether their parents are forgiving and treat what happened with understanding, they just need to be properly protected, which is possible,” the lawyer said.