Number of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan exceeds 100. Holidays will be used against them, says human rights defender

The number of Armenian prisoners currently held in Azerbaijan exceeds 100. This was stated to NEWS.am by lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, who advocates for the rights of Armenian prisoners at the European Court.

“According to verified and identified data, the number of captives held in Azerbaijan is significantly large at this time,” she said.

It is worth noting that today, December 28, four Armenian prisoners were transferred to Armenia with the mediation of the Russian Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross, two of whom are civilians.

When asked why only four prisoners were transferred to Armenia, while discussions had been around the return of approximately 40 individuals, the human rights defender responded: “I believe the authorities have failed in negotiations regarding the return of prisoners within a short timeframe. The Armenian side lacks authority in the negotiation process, and it is not taken seriously. Armenia has not succeeded in maintaining any leverage over Azerbaijan, resulting in agreements being exploited to the detriment of the interests of the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh.”

Siranush Sahakyan stated that the delay in the return of prisoners is due to the unprofessional work style of the Armenian authorities: “Visible work, through which it would have been possible to return the Armenian prisoners by the New Year, has, in fact, not been done by the authorities. Soon there will be holiday periods, and Azerbaijan will also exploit this timeframe to unjustifiably prolong the process of returning Armenian prisoners. Consideration will also account for the work schedule of international organizations, which means that holiday periods will be used to the detriment of Armenia, and the presence of Armenians in Azerbaijan is risky; each additional day may cost human lives,” she noted.

In response to the observation that the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh assured that by surrendering Azerbaijani saboteurs Dilham Askaryan and Shahbaz Guliyev, convicted for committing murders and other serious crimes in Karvachar, they are creating guarantees for the return of the remaining Armenian prisoners, Sahakyan replied: “If such guarantees were truly received, then through one or two unrestricted flights, the captives should have been returned long ago, especially since Azerbaijan has an obligation to return Armenian prisoners immediately.”

The human rights defender noted that such assurances simply aim to reassure the relatives of the prisoners waiting for their return.

Siranush Sahakyan also addressed the widespread concern among the relatives of the prisoners that if they participate in any political process, they could jeopardize the return of prisoners. “I have noticed caution and disappointment among them, and people who are in a state of disillusionment and waiting can easily fall under influence; they are easily manipulatable. Their emotional state is often exploited, and they become part of political processes. However, these concerns are unfounded and cannot influence the process of returning the prisoners. I hope that our citizens will be wise enough to prioritize the interests of their children and families and will not fall victim to such manipulations,” she stated.

The human rights defender simultaneously noted that often individuals who have no relation to the prisoners speak on their behalf. “There is no verified data that these individuals are family members of the captives, yet they present themselves to the public as relatives of the captive and try to mislead the public on behalf of that group, sending false signals, which indicates that we are dealing with directed processes,” Siranush Sahakyan emphasized.

It should be noted that the Armenian side keeps the number of those killed, prisoners, and missing in the war secret.