Yerevan has returned 17 POWs and detainees to Baku since December 2020, Azeri PM says
A total of 122 prisoners of war (POWs) and other detained persons have returned to Armenia and Azerbaijan with the mediation of Russian peacekeepers since December 2020, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov told a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government held online on Friday.
"With the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, a total of 122 prisoners of war and detainees have been returned since December 22, 2020. 105 of them have been repatriated to Armenia and 17 to Azerbaijan," the prime minister said.
Referring to the 62 Armenian servicemen who were captured by Azerbaijan after the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a trilateral statement on the full cessation of hostilities on November 9 last year, Asadov said they “are not considered prisoners of war”, reiterating the false claims that they had crossed into Azerbaijani territory to carry out subversion.
“Azerbaijan has returned 29 of them to the Armenian side. 33 members of the group have been convicted by our courts and will be held accountable," he said.