Application Submitted to European Court Regarding Six Armenian Prisoners of War

The International and Comparative Law Center, in collaboration with the Armenian Center for Justice and Human Rights based in Washington, has submitted another six applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), requesting the "application of interim measures" regarding Armenian servicemen who were captured with gross violations of international humanitarian law following the announcement on November 9, 2020.

This information was shared with Armenpress by the Armenian Cause Central Office of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

The continuous policy of Azerbaijan not to recognize Armenian prisoners of war exemplifies a perverse treatment towards human life. It is time for the international community to stop encouraging the authoritarian Aliyev and demand that Azerbaijan fulfill its obligations under the Geneva Conventions adopted in 1949,” emphasized Ken Khachikyan, leader of the Armenian Center for Justice and Human Rights and a long-time figure in the Armenian Cause.

By continuously gathering testimonies about the Armenian captives for the application of “interim measures,” the submissions of these centers to the ECHR are the first step to compel Azerbaijan to recognize Armenian prisoners of war as such. This will also allow international humanitarian organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to gain access to the captured individuals.

As a result of the cooperation between the two human rights organizations based in Yerevan and Washington, nearly one hundred cases concerning Armenian prisoners of war have been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights. Recently, through the same collaboration, it became possible to gather information regarding around 90 Armenian captives held by Azerbaijan.

The human rights centers will continue to pursue the release of around one hundred Armenian captives and to protect their right to life.