Intensified Pressure on Armenian Prisoners After Azerbaijani Filming, Says Siranush Sahakyan

Azerbaijani media's purpose in filming Armenian prisoners of war is to enhance Azerbaijan's reputation regarding human rights in the international community, as well as to cater to a domestic audience. This was stated by Siranush Sahakyan, head of the Center for International and Comparative Law, in an interview with NEWS.am.

It was noted that the Azerbaijani public television has filmed Armenian soldiers claiming that they are being held in good conditions. Sahakyan pointed out, 'Here we see that Azerbaijani humanitarianism is reinterpreting its treatment of Armenians, while simultaneously inciting public interest in the prisoners of war. The dissemination of these videos also generates hatred. They manage this level of animosity within society. The wills of all the prisoners speaking in that video are not free. They are constrained and under the threat of life, unable to act of their own volition. The pressure intensifies in the stages preceding and following the filming, manifesting in various ways, including psychologically. We must state that the expression of will of the prisoners of war is not free, and this can also be corroborated by professional opinions,' Sahakyan remarked.

Sahakyan mentioned that the video features reserves captured from the Khzreberd area after the war, as well as two soldiers captured from the Gegharkunik area.

When asked what benefit this provides to Azerbaijan, Sahakyan responded, 'If no efforts are made at all, it will be impossible to defend the country's legitimacy, and they have chosen a deceitful method.'

Addressing the issue of the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war, Sahakyan stated that legal processes are developing naturally without extraordinary developments. 'We see that politically they are also coordinating the issue of exchanging prisoners of war. There was expectation that repatriation might occur during these weeks with European mediation. Alongside this delay, we are witnessing provocative behavior from Azerbaijan. For example, after the arrest of Azerbaijani saboteurs, we saw that Azerbaijan took two soldiers captive, presenting them as saboteurs; in some ways, this was also a display of force against Armenia on a legal level. It is predictable that as a result of the deal, with mediation from European or other countries, if the Armenian side meets certain political demands, it will be followed by a resolution to the prisoner of war issue.'

It is reported that there are 33 confirmed Armenian prisoners of war in Baku, as well as two soldiers who were captured on May 26. According to Sahakyan, there are currently 80 unconfirmed cases of captivity, but information is lacking regarding them.