Ruben Rubinyan States in PACE that Azerbaijan Refuses to Return Armenian Prisoners of War

During the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) winter session, Ruben Rubinyan, head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, stated that Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, had unleashed a war in Nagorno-Karabakh using prohibited weapons, including cluster bombs and white phosphorus.

Rubinyan also noted that the fighting against Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia involved not only Azerbaijanis but also mercenaries hired by Turkey and brought to the region from the Middle East, particularly by Turkey. He spoke about the inhumane treatment of Armenian prisoners of war and war crimes committed during the conflict.

“After the first phase of the prisoner exchange, Azerbaijan has been refusing to complete the process under various pretexts. Moreover, a month after the trilateral agreement, Azerbaijan commenced new military aggression in the Hadrut region of Nagorno-Karabakh, again capturing prisoners of war. The Azerbaijani side immediately announced the initiation of criminal proceedings against the new detainees, not recognizing them as prisoners of war. Azerbaijan does not intend to coexist peacefully with Armenians and continues its genocidal policy against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Rubinyan stated.

Rubinyan concluded his remarks by emphasizing the need to resume peace negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship. He stressed that determining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh based on the right to self-determination is crucial for the entire region.