Belgium's Parliament Calls on Azerbaijan to Immediately Release Armenian Prisoners

The Chamber of Representatives of the Belgian Parliament today unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Azerbaijan to "immediately release all remaining Armenian prisoners, including civilians, in accordance with Article 8 of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire declaration, as well as the Geneva Convention." This was reported by the Committee of Armenians in Belgium.

The Parliament urged the federal government to "take appropriate measures to support the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijan and their safe return." The Parliament also strongly condemned "the numerous reports regarding the torture of prisoners."

According to data provided by the European Court of Human Rights, 188 prisoners of war are still in Azerbaijan. The ceasefire agreement signed on November 9 envisaged the immediate and complete exchange of prisoners. However, Azerbaijan has not released its prisoners, and in the days following the end of hostilities, it also detained other Armenian soldiers and civilians.

On its part, Armenia released all prisoners of war following the end of the fighting. In addition to all this, it became known that Azerbaijani forces detained 6 new Armenian servicemen on Thursday, May 28, along the border with Armenia and Azerbaijan. This detention follows recent incursions into Armenian territory at several points along the border.

These incidents are part of Azerbaijan's strategy of increasing tension against Armenia. The Committee of Armenians in Belgium calls on the government to respond to Parliament's request and intervene for the immediate release of all Armenian detainees,” stated the communication from the Committee of Armenians in Belgium.

The Committee of Armenians in Belgium serves as the executive body and spokesperson for the local Armenian community. Established in 1922, the Armenian institutions are comprised of representatives elected from among all Belgian residents of Armenian descent. The Armenian population in the country is approximately 30,000.