Over 120 Armenian Prisoners of War Remain in Azerbaijan, Says Armenian Ambassador in The Hague

The reputable Dutch magazine Weekblad Elsevier has published an interview with Tigran Balayan, the Armenian Ambassador to The Hague, which we present below.

- The war ended in November, didn’t it?

- There are still over 120 Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan. One of the prisoners recounted that he was subjected to beatings, being forced to 'confess' that he killed Azerbaijanis during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in the 1990s, a time when he wasn’t even born yet. To this date, Azerbaijanis are committing grave military crimes.

- What do you mean?

- This concerns not only the torture of prisoners of war but also the desecration of churches and cemeteries. There is ample evidence that Azerbaijani soldiers have beheaded Armenians, and they have posted videos and photos on social media. The Azerbaijani side is trying to present itself as the dominant force, waging a psychological war.

- According to the Armenian side, Turkey was also involved in the war.

- The Turkish government sent jihadists from Syria to fight against Armenia; they were airlifted from regions bordering Syria to Istanbul and Ankara, from where they were sent to Baku. Their number exceeded 2000, of which around 200 were killed. Erdogan openly declared, 'We are prepared to finish what our ancestors started.' Europe is turning a blind eye to what is happening.

- But why should Europe remain silent?

- According to some, the reason is the Azerbaijani gas and oil supplied to Europe. Russia also supplies gas and oil to Europe, yet that did not prevent sanctions against Russia following the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny.

- So what can Europe do?

- Impose sanctions against the command of Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his wife. Mrs. Aliyeva is the Vice President of Azerbaijan and a UNESCO ambassador. Denying her the opportunity to shop in boutiques in Paris and Milan would be a strong signal.

- And the Netherlands?

- Foreign Minister Stef Blok states that the alleged war crimes need to be investigated. Shouldn’t we verify if the Armenian who has been beheaded actually died? Why isn’t the Netherlands taking a leading role? After all, the Netherlands is a champion in the world for the protection of human rights.