Ministry of Foreign Affairs Statement on False Charges Against Captured Soldiers and Civilians

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement condemning Azerbaijan's implementation of criminal prosecution based on false charges against Armenian prisoners of war and abducted civilians. According to international law, prisoners of war cannot be held accountable for participating in armed conflicts.

At the same time, the statement emphasizes that due to the extreme hatred against Armenians prevalent in Azerbaijan and the state-sponsored racist policies, the ongoing trials cannot be fair and transparent. The aforementioned issues, as well as the taking and abduction of civilians, constitute gross violations of numerous norms of international law.

The concealment of the real numbers and locations of Armenian prisoners of war and abducted citizens by Azerbaijan also serves as serious evidence of the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Azerbaijan continues to grossly violate several fundamental documents it has ratified, including the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and particularly the Third Geneva Convention.

In light of the above, we strongly condemn the illegal ruling of the Baku court, issued on June 14, to imprison Vigen Eolchikejan, a civilian citizen of Armenia and Lebanon, for 20 years. He was abducted by the Azerbaijani armed forces the day after the signing of the trilateral statement on November 9, 2020, and the verdict was based on alleged "confessions" extorted under pressure and torture.

It is also condemned that due to the violation of the first point of the trilateral statement of November 9, false criminal cases are being initiated and prosecutions carried out against soldiers captured as a result of military operations conducted by Azerbaijan in the villages of Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher, which are under the control of Armenian forces.

The recorded conversation between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the visit to the city of Shushi, occupied by Azerbaijan, on June 15, proves that in the post-war period, the issue of prisoners is being used by Azerbaijan for political purposes as a tool for pressure against Armenia, which is also a blatant violation of the trilateral statement of November 9. This fact again demonstrates Azerbaijan's consistent policy of failing to fulfill its assumed obligations.

We urge our international partners and human rights organizations to strongly condemn Azerbaijan's gross violations of international law and demand the cessation of fabricated criminal cases and the prompt repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war.