UN Experts Urge Immediate Release of Prisoners from the Latest Phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The United Nations human rights experts have called for the immediate release of prisoners of war and other detainees from the latest phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as for the return of remains of deceased individuals to their families for burial according to their cultural traditions. According to reports from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the experts stated, “All those deprived of liberty as a result of the conflict should be returned home, and relatives of the deceased should be able to retrieve the remains of their loved ones in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of November 9, 2020.”

They emphasized receiving alarming reports about POWs and other detainees being killed without any judicial process, going missing, and being subjected to violence and inhumane treatment. “No exceptional circumstances, whether a state of war, internal political instability, or other emergencies, can justify torture and enforced disappearances. Such actions can also be considered war crimes during an armed conflict,” the human rights experts pointed out.

The experts specifically alerted regarding instances of torture related to the bodies of deceased individuals. “Both sides have begun to return prisoners of war and other detainees, and we urge them to carry this out under the principle of 'all for all,' clarify the fate of the missing, and treat the bodies of the deceased with dignity,” they noted.

They called on the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to conduct a comprehensive, prompt, independent, and impartial investigation into serious human rights violations during and after the conflict, to hold those responsible accountable and provide redress to the victims. They also stated that they would continue collaboration with the authorities of both countries and monitor the situation.

Numerous videos circulating during and after Azerbaijan's 44-day war against Artsakh, which began on September 27, 2020, document inhumane treatment of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijan. Evidence has been published regarding mockery and violence against civilians and the elderly. Many bodies have been mutilated, and videos regarding the conditions of detention of detainees testify to gross violations of their rights. Azerbaijan has been artificially delaying the process of returning prisoners and initiating baseless criminal cases against them.