Ombudsman: Linking Issue of Armenian Servicemen Held Captive in Azerbaijan with Territorial Issues is Reprehensible

• 01.11.2021, 09:38
•  Region,  World,  Armenia

The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, states that it is absolutely reprehensible to link the issue of Armenian servicemen in captivity in Azerbaijan with territorial issues and to obviously politicize it. As per Tatoyan, this is a gross violation of the post-war humanitarian process and international demands guaranteeing human rights. This is noted in a statement issued by the Human Rights Defender, News.am reports.

"Therefore, initiating criminal proceedings against 62 Armenian servicemen in captivity in Azerbaijan, arresting them and, moreover, calling them terrorists, is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and of international human rights law in general.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia also considers it necessary to make a special statement that it is inadmissible to politicize human rights or humanitarian issues in the post-war process.

The return or release of prisoners is independent of any political process.

This must be ensured immediately after the cessation of hostilities.

Moreover, the Human Rights Defender notes that in practice there have already been cases when the Azerbaijani armed forces have captured Armenians after the November 10 tripartite statement, but they later were returned to Armenia.

It is obvious to the Human Rights Defender that the Azerbaijani authorities are clearly abusing the legal processes in order to achieve their goal.

This behavior of the Azerbaijani authorities also directly contradicts the intentions of the parties that signed the trilateral statement on November 10.

The Azerbaijani authorities initially are artificially delaying the release of the captives on the Armenian side and of otherwise deprived of their liberty, they continue not to report the true number of captives.

The absolute urgency of the issue of the release of captives must also be considered in the context of the organized policy of propaganda of anti-Armenianism and hostility in Azerbaijan," the Armenian ombudsman's statement adds in particular.