Around 80 prisoners unrecognized by Azerbaijan have been subjected to enforced disappearance, says human rights defender

As of now, there are around 156 prisoners who have been returned thanks to legal and political efforts. However, there are still numerous prisoners held in Azerbaijan. This was stated by Siranuhi Sahakyan, a human rights defender representing the interests of Armenian prisoners of war at the European Court.

“We have around 80 prisoners who have not been officially recognized by the Azerbaijani authorities up to this day and have been subjected to enforced disappearance during this period,” Sahakyan said.

According to her, the number of prisoners held in Azerbaijan was officially 33 until September 13, and following the latest military operations, there are about 20 new prisoners. She noted that besides the European Court of Human Rights, the issue of prisoners is also indirectly connected to the International Court of Justice.

“In this regard, legal efforts have been intense and, in some ways, unprecedented. The only gap that can be filled is initiating the process of the convention on the prohibition of hostage-taking at the same UN Court of Justice, as developments have shown that prisoners have ceased to be merely prisoners. They are held as hostages and used as leverage to increase pressure on the Armenian authorities. Their repatriation is directly linked to politically charged issues,” added Siranuhi Sahakyan.