Over 100 Spanish Officials Urge Government to Intervene for Release of Armenian POWs

27 members of the Congress and 13 Senators from Spain, along with over 60 members from various autonomous communities and municipal councils, have requested the Spanish government to intervene for the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war. This information was reported by the Embassy of Armenia in Spain.

The full text of the statement is presented below:

“Six months after the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9, 2020, between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, the Baku regime still refuses to implement one of its core humanitarian provisions—the release of prisoners of war. According to received information, more than 200 Armenian soldiers are currently in captivity in Azerbaijan. During a press conference on February 26, President Ilham Aliyev stated that he considers them terrorists, explaining that they were arrested after November 9. However, the reality is that at that time the soldiers were besieged in Hadrut. This area was surrounded by the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey and jihadist mercenaries, but was not under occupation at the time of the signing of the agreement.

This blatant violation of the agreement once again underscores that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev does not fulfill his obligations. His priority is hatred against Armenians, whom he promised to 'hunt down like dogs.' It is worth reminding that he and his allies carried out a military aggression in Artsakh for 44 days under the banner of Pan-Turkism. Bombings, assaults, and executions have caused the death of over 3,500 Armenian soldiers, mostly in their 20s, while tens of thousands became refugees and internally displaced persons. These facts shatter the hope of the Armenian people to return to normal life in their historical territories, 106 years after the Armenian Genocide.

Throughout this conflict, Azerbaijan has committed various war crimes. Numerous videos show the executions and inhuman torture of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians, including the mutilation of corpses. Given all this, it is horrifying to think about how those who are currently at the mercy of this oil-rich dictatorship are treated. It should not be forgotten that this regime is considered one of the last in the world, according to a recent report on freedom and democracy published by Freedom House. This assessment has also been repeatedly given by various civil society organizations related to human rights. The organization 'Reporters Without Borders' has ranked Azerbaijan 168th out of 180 countries in the press freedom index. A state that ranks as a leader in human rights violations.

Unfortunately, the OSCE Minsk Group was unable to prevent the war or protect its victims, yet it should at least be capable of ensuring that the humanitarian terms of the ceasefire agreement are respected. The implementation of this provision is a prerequisite for achieving a lasting peace through negotiations. Justice must prevail over violence in this region, which cannot be left abandoned amidst barbarism and totalitarianism.

Given the aforementioned circumstances, we, the undersigned, request the Spanish government to use all its power and international influence to achieve the release of Armenian prisoners of war.”