Azerbaijan's Policy Aimed at Capturing More Prisoners: Siranush Sahakyan

Yesterday, Azerbaijan was supposed to release an interview or documentary film regarding individuals unlawfully held in Azerbaijan, but it was canceled or at least did not appear in the same format. This was announced by Gegham Stepanyan, the Ombudsman of Artsakh, during a discussion on "Challenges to Armenia's Border Security." He noted that they are still unaware of the reason why the Azerbaijani television channel did not release the film. "There will probably be clarifications, but it is very important to consider that, unfortunately, the public in Armenia is falling for Azerbaijani propaganda tricks," Stepanyan stated.

According to him, it is necessary to educate the public, raise their immunity, and show the purposes behind these actions so that they do not fall into Azerbaijan's trap. International law expert and human rights defender Siranush Sahakyan added that Azerbaijan has clearly shaped expectations among the Armenian society that scandalous and highly significant interviews will be viewed, but ultimately, they sold or exchanged those expectations and emotions. "We had a video that lasted 17 seconds, which was more aimed at celebrating the 100th anniversary of their National Security Service. On the other hand, today an official clarification was given that the issue is not just having an interview, but broadcasting it at the right time, that is, they are not rejecting the expected video presentation but simply questioning the chosen moment," she explained.

During the discussion, Siranush Sahakyan also emphasized that Azerbaijan's policy is more aimed at capturing more prisoners. The lawyer listed cases of the deliberate capture of detainees, including civilians, since November 10, 2020, until the aggression on September 19-20, 2023. Sahakyan reported that Azerbaijan has returned 210 individuals so far. According to official data, 23 citizens remain in captivity, whom the ICRC has access to. Since 2020, 5 people have remained in captivity, including two elderly men. "Their age and their participation in the first Nagorno-Karabakh war are reasons why the Azerbaijanis treat them with particular cruelty," Sahakyan noted. Additionally, 3 civilians are included, one of whom is Vigen Eukchyan from Lebanon, whose citizenship is used in Baku to 'prove' that Armenia is recruiting mercenaries. The other two young men were captured on November 11, 2020.

The remaining cases are related to 2023. "Everyone is familiar with the case of Vagif Khachatryan; the man was captured in the presence of the ICRC. Another elderly man got lost and was captured. Eight are former leaders of Artsakh," Sahakyan listed. She also noted there are 80 cases of enforced disappearance. These are cases where soldiers, unharmed, ended up under Azerbaijani control and disappeared without a trace. "In the overwhelming majority of cases, there are videos, and in other cases, there are eyewitness testimonies, so the fact of captivity is beyond doubt," the lawyer emphasized.