Ombudsman Urges EU to Take Concrete Steps for the Release of Armenian Prisoners

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia, along with Members of the European Parliament and the European Office of the Armenian Cause, has urged the EU to take specific actions to secure the release of Armenian prisoners. A discussion on the immediate release and return of Armenian captives from Azerbaijan was held in the European Parliament on April 12, during which Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan presented a special report. The information was posted by him on his Facebook page, accompanied by a video.

Tatoyan emphasized the importance of international pressure on Azerbaijan, which could help prevent further crimes. He informed that on April 9, he appealed to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regarding the immediate return of all Armenian captives unlawfully held in Azerbaijan.

He once again drew particular attention to the fact that all Armenian servicemen and civilians were captured by Azerbaijani armed forces during the current ongoing armed conflict, thus they are all considered prisoners of war and should be released immediately and returned to their homeland without any political or other conditions.

The Ombudsman stated, “Azerbaijani authorities artificially delay and politicize the process, grossly violating the rights of the captives and their families, causing them suffering and increasing societal tension.”

Tatoyan noted that the absolute urgency of the release of prisoners should also be considered in the context of the state-sponsored propaganda of hatred and enmity against Armenians being conducted at the highest levels in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani authorities are using the issue of Armenian prisoners of war to further their policy of hatred. These crimes have an ethnic nature and are heavily sponsored by the authorities of Azerbaijan.

Tatoyan believes that the EU should institutionalize its position to eliminate these violations and prevent future occurrences. During the discussion, the Defender detailed the international humanitarian and human rights rules requiring the immediate release of prisoners and their safe return.

It has been reported that the initiative for the discussion came from Lukas Furla, the head of the EU-Armenia Friendship Group in the European Parliament, who also presented a report. Other participants included Marina Kaljurand, head of the delegation on relations with the South Caucasus in the European Parliament, and Heghine Avinyan, executive director of the European Office of the Armenian Cause.

It should be noted that according to unofficial data, there are about 200 prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijan only acknowledges 72.