Azerbaijan Pursues New Policy on Prisoners of War: Siranuş Sahakyan Discusses Actions Taken

Azerbaijan has started actively providing information regarding Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku in ongoing cases at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Mostly, the information presented includes medical details that do not fully correspond to reality. This was stated by Armenia's representative to the ECHR, Siranuş Sahakyan, in an interview with NEWS.am.

"Moreover, even objective data, such as height, is being falsified. At the same time, around 80 cases are denying the fact of captivity, trying to create confusion in the identification process through fabrications. For instance, individuals in videos are often portrayed as Azerbaijanis who, with the intent of mockery, have worn Armenian uniforms and performed the roles of so-called 'Armenians,' which again does not correspond to reality. They have simply activated their forgery mechanisms, attempting to mislead the international community, including the courts," Sahakyan said.

According to her, these are discernible issues; similar cases have occurred in the past, and the European Court has deemed the evidence presented by the Armenian side as acceptable and confirmed that the materials of the criminal case, examinations, medical information, and videos are being simulated and forged by Azerbaijan. "I believe that the same challenge will also be present in the International Court of Justice; we must be well-prepared on all fronts. Here, the law enforcement agencies of Armenia also have a role to play; I believe they cannot afford to waste time on other cases, as serious processes are expected and actions must be taken with professionalism and responsibility," she added.

It is noteworthy that currently, approximately 300 cases regarding victims are being examined at the ECHR based on applications from the Armenian side.