Cases Exist Where Captives Are Seen in Videos, But Azerbaijan Does Not Confirm Their Captivity: Armenia's Ombudsman

The captivity of Armenian armed forces personnel and civilians should be noted from the moment it is revealed through a video or photograph that they are under the control of Azerbaijani armed forces or authorities, rather than waiting for confirmation from Azerbaijani authorities.

This approach is necessary to hold the Azerbaijani authorities accountable for the guarantee of the life and health of each of our soldiers, as there are cases where captives appear in videos, but Azerbaijan does not confirm their captivity.

This was stated by the Human Rights Defender during a public discussion organized by the Helsinki Civil Assembly's Vanadzor office on the topic of "The Rights of Missing Persons and Their Families: Opportunities and Challenges for Protection." Arman Tatoyan emphasized the urgency of returning Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan, noting that the conduct of Azerbaijani authorities grossly violates international human rights requirements by labeling captives as "terrorists" or "saboteurs."

The Defender pointed out that all Armenian servicemen and civilians captured by Azerbaijani armed forces are prisoners of war, as this occurred during the ongoing armed conflict. Therefore, they should be immediately released and returned to their homeland without any political or other preconditions.

Azerbaijani authorities are artificially delaying and politicizing the process, grossly violating the rights of captives and their families, causing them suffering and creating tensions in society.

Moreover, the Human Rights Defender emphasized that the results of interrogations of Armenian captives in Azerbaijan cannot serve as the basis for prosecuting them and cannot be evidence in international forums, including courts. This was also highlighted in an urgent report published by the Defender, based on his own investigative work.