Parliament Calls on International Community to Aid in the Return of Armenian Prisoners Held in Azerbaijan

The National Assembly of Armenia has adopted a message directed at the international community and organizations, urging them to demand from Azerbaijan the immediate return of Armenian prisoners and to cease their torture and inhumane treatment following an urgent closed-door discussion on the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians.

After the closed session, the main reporter, head of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan, proposed the adoption of the Assembly’s message and read its text: “Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations of 1948, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 on the Protection of War Victims, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 1965, as well as various other international treaties, customary international law, and recognized principles of law by civilized nations, the National Assembly of Armenia calls upon the international community.”

It calls for consideration of both Armenian and Azerbaijani commitments to return all persons held captive, as well as deceased individuals. It states that the Azerbaijani side is artificially delaying the return process of those in captivity and the deceased, evidently hiding the true number of prisoners of war and other individuals in captivity under its control, continuing to subject them to brutal, inhumane, and degrading treatment, torture, physical and mental suffering.

It severely condemns the Azerbaijani side for the recording and dissemination of torture, degrading treatment, and other inhumane acts through representatives of its armed forces with exceptional cynicism in mass media and social networks.

Given the systemic and widespread policy of the Azerbaijani authorities aimed at inciting organized hatred against ethnic Armenians, fostering animosity, and glorifying the killing, torturing, and other acts of violence against Armenians around the world, the message addresses the International Community, including the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Committee Against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other international and national organizations, as well as parliamentary organizations and the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The Assembly calls for urging Azerbaijan to promptly hand over the prisoners of war under its control, as well as other civilians detained and held in captivity; to demand that Azerbaijan stop the torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners of war and detained civilians; to commit Azerbaijan to abolishing its longstanding political doctrines rooted in hatred against Armenians across all areas of public life, including educational institutions, public discourse by social, military and political leaders, mass media, social networks, and other forms of expression.

It insists on taking every effort and real steps to end the intolerable anti-Armenian policies of Azerbaijan for the civilized world, including the evident violations of human rights and dignity, war crimes, and the relentless evasion of international obligations.

The message also demands concrete measures be taken to ensure compliance and strict adherence to the obligations Azerbaijan has under international human rights and humanitarian law.

Before voting, Arman Abovyan from the Prosperous Armenia faction informed that they did not receive any answers on the pressing issues during the closed meeting format that are relevant to today’s discussions. The message was adopted unanimously by the vote, receiving 100 votes in favor.