Zohrebian Calls on the Council of Europe to Do Everything Possible to Ensure the Return of Armenian Prisoners

The member of the Armenian National Assembly from the "Prosperous Armenia" faction and a member of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Naira Zohrebian, addressed the issue of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan during her speech at the Assembly, stating that captured Armenian soldiers must be released immediately and returned to Armenia without any preconditions.

According to Zohrebian’s office, she also urged the Council of Europe to do everything possible to ensure the return of Armenian prisoners to their homeland.

In her speech, Zohrebian noted, "Dear colleagues, today I will not speak about the defeat of the Armenian side in the recent war in Artsakh. We will discuss that in our country, and the judgments against all those responsible will be heard in our country. Today, I will speak about the humanitarian crisis that resulted from the unprecedented war instigated by Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan, with the immediate participation of Turkey, which has one of the largest armies in NATO, and the involvement of international terrorist groups, launched war on September 27. This war was unprecedented in its use of prohibited weapons as defined by international conventions, with targeted attacks on civilian settlements, infrastructure, and cultural objects, including the use of chemical weapons, and it demonstrated unprecedented cruelty towards prisoners of war.

I could show you footage right now taken from Azerbaijani media resources that depict the torture and humiliation our captured soldiers endure, but I will not be that cruel toward you and will spare you. However, I have a question for you, dear colleagues: has any one of you tried to imagine themselves as the parent of a soldier whose head is severed by Turkish-Azerbaijani terrorists, with the image of their decapitated son sent to his relatives?

As a result of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan, several tens of thousands of Artsakh Armenians were displaced from their homes, and what is this if not a humanitarian disaster? What the Aliyev-Erdogan duo did during this war is a clear military crime under all international legal norms and must be recognized as such.

On December 31, the President of Azerbaijan, speaking about Armenian soldiers held captive in his country, declared that they are not prisoners of war but terrorists. Such senseless statements grossly violate the post-war humanitarian process and international demands to protect human rights.

Captured Armenian soldiers must be released immediately and returned to Armenia without any precondition. Both during military operations and after their cessation, Azerbaijan consistently violates international human rights demands and humanitarian agreements; the return of prisoners is delayed, and the real number of prisoners is not disclosed, while torture and inhumane treatment continue against prisoners, evidenced by the targeted publication of videos showing such treatment.

I urge the Council of Europe to use its mandate and do everything possible to return Armenian soldiers to their homeland. Just imagine for a moment instead of the Armenian mother who has been going through hell these months searching for and waiting for her son. Today, my only request to you is that. If we talk about the humanitarian consequences of this war, then help us return our soldiers. I am speaking on behalf of thousands of Armenian mothers. Each day in Azerbaijani captivity reduces the chances of survival for our Armenian soldiers because we are dealing with a state of executioners and murderers."