Human Rights Defender Discusses Armenian Prisoners' Return with Red Cross Delegation

The Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan hosted Thierry Ribot, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Armenia, today. The meeting focused on issues relating to the rights of Armenian servicemen and civilians held captive in Azerbaijan and the process of their return.

Thierry Ribot addressed the ongoing work concerning Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in Azerbaijan, including efforts related to individuals missing both before and after the 2020 war. The head of the ICRC delegation also presented the programs being implemented in Artsakh under the ICRC mandate following the 44-day war.

In turn, the Defender shared the facts and observations from her visit to Artsakh the previous week. She expressed particular concern over provocations by Azerbaijani armed forces, aimed at disrupting the normal lives of residents in villages located near the contact line or close to Azerbaijani positions, citing incidents in Kharamort and Norshen.

The Defender characterized these actions as the outcome of a continuing, organized policy managed from a single point. Evidence of such a policy includes the trials against two Armenian prisoners of war, Ishkhan Sargsyan and Vladimir Rafaelian, who have been sentenced to 19 and 18 years in prison, respectively. The Defender noted that these are artificial trials, which constitute a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions.