Your trusted source

Armenian Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan calls on the international community to properly respond to the torture and inhumane treatment of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan in a message on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The full statement is provided below.

"June 26 marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture declared by the United Nations.

As a National Prevention Mechanism, the activities of the Human Rights Defender are aimed at preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment in our country.

In the annual and ad hoc reports, the Defender has always emphasized the lack of compensation, and other support mechanisms for non-material damage caused by ill-treatment. This is a priority issue that should be properly addressed by the state.

It is also very important to provide psychological, medical and social-rehabilitation services to torture survivors and their family members.

The Defender's Office continues to receive complaints and alarming-calls regarding the alleged cases of torture in penitentiary institutions, the Police, and investigative bodies.

This circumstance is very concerning. The state should take clear steps to prevent torture cases. Moreover, it is necessary to respond to those cases quickly and adequately, to be consistent from the viewpoint of ensuring an effective investigation and bringing the culprits to justice. In that regard, there are various problems in our state that need to be overcome as soon as possible.

I am sure that we should unite our efforts with our daily work to create such an environment in Armenia where torture and other forms of ill-treatment will be excluded.

I would like to make a special reference to the policy adopted by the Azerbaijani authorities, including the torture and inhumane treatment of Armenian Prisoners of War and civilian captives held in Azerbaijan. This circumstance is unacceptable from the viewpoint of all the values adopted by the modern civilized world, and should be properly addressed by the international community."