Conditions Presented by Azerbaijan Must Be "Absolutely and Unconditionally Unacceptable": Zohrabyan on the Prisoners of War Return Process

On June 21, Naira Zohrabyan, a member of the "Prosperous Armenia" faction, wrote on her Facebook page that during a meeting of the European Conservatives and Reformists group at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (held in Strasbourg), she attempted to discuss the return of Armenian prisoners of war to Armenia without any preconditions and immediately with the head of the Azerbaijani delegation, Samad Seidov.

Zohrabyan noted that the head of the Azerbaijani delegation said that there are "no Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, and the rest are terrorists."

In an interview with "Hraparak," Zohrabyan shared some details from her private conversation with Seidov, during which the deputy from Azerbaijan's ruling "New Azerbaijan" party presented several preconditions for the return of Armenian prisoners. "He laid out several conditions, one of which was that Armenia must recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Samad Seidov, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation, told me very directly that, 'if you want to discuss the issue of your terrorists' return, of course, after sentences are given, take the first step, recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, which naturally includes 75 percent of Artsakh. Start the delimitation and demarcation process based on Soviet maps,'" the deputy said.

According to Zohrabyan, the preconditions put forth by Azerbaijan must be "absolutely and unequivocally unacceptable" for the Armenian side. "Because by recognizing Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, including the occupied 75 percent of Artsakh, we would effectively close the door on any possibility of ever returning Shushi, Hadrut, and our historical Armenian lands," she added.

The conversation between the Armenian deputy and the head of the Azerbaijani Parliament's Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Ties took place during the summer session of the PACE. "The head of the Azerbaijani delegation and I have been in the European Conservatives and Reformists political group together since 2008. The discourse began in our group, after which the head of the Azerbaijani delegation and I continued the conversation. After the group's meeting ended, we had a private conversation. I pointed out that the Armenian side has shown goodwill, even releasing murderers Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilham Askerov, who had beheaded an Armenian civilian, and their guilt was proven. Naturally, all my arguments that the Armenian side has handed over the bones of Azerbaijani soldiers killed in the territory of Artsakh in the 1990s had no impact. I realized that the Azerbaijani side has its clear theses, clear preconditions that it is not willing to abandon," Zohrabyan said.

Zohrabyan sees the only rational option for the return of Armenian prisoners as much more active work with international organizations. "I see the only rational option for the foreseeable future to return Armenian prisoners is to work with international organizations so that they not only influence Azerbaijan with resolutions, calls, and appeals but apply specific, material sanctions, which I proposed in Strasbourg. Freeze Aliyev's and his clan's European accounts. And apply specific, material sanctions against Azerbaijan, for example, suspend the membership of the Azerbaijani delegation in PACE or deprive them of the right to vote for at least one year or at least one session, something they happily do to Russia and Belarus. They are applying economic sanctions against Russia; why not do the same against Azerbaijan?" said the member of the Armenian delegation in PACE.

According to her, there is no other option for the visible future for the return of Armenian prisoners: "Our prisoners of war are charged with the heaviest criminal offenses under the Azerbaijani Penal Code—terrorism, diversion, explosions, etc. Which according to their criminal code provides for 14-20 years of imprisonment and in some cases even life imprisonment." On the question, "After your private conversation, did you inform the other members of the group, including European and other countries' colleagues, about Azerbaijan's preconditions and demands?" Zohrabyan replied that PACE members are informed. "They are all informed about Azerbaijan's demands. And there is no need to specifically inform them because Azerbaijan has also told them, 'these are our territories, and Armenia is obliged to recognize our territorial integrity, including Artsakh.' Azerbaijan's position has never been new to them. I see concern from European institutions that they are exerting pressure on Azerbaijan to return the prisoners of war, but their concerns currently end and only manifest as concerning statements. Announcements and resolutions will not return the prisoners of war; what is necessary is specific, tangible, material sanctions," Zohrabyan concluded.

It is noteworthy that Seidov is also the head of the working group on interparliamentary ties between Azerbaijan and the United States. In a statement released on June 21, Zohrabyan also wrote that Seidov said that "50 percent of the maps of the mined areas surrendered by them are fake." On June 12, the Azerbaijani side repatriated 15 Armenian prisoners of war to Armenia in exchange for maps of mined areas in Aghdam. The return, according to official statements, was mediated by the government of Georgia with the support of the United States.