Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan must be released and returned to Armenia – Ombudsman
14:58, 8 January, 2021YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia considers absolutely condemnable the politicization of this humanitarian and human rights issue concerning captives, and even remotely connecting these matters of human rights related to any territorial issue, or for that matter, the obvious attempts of the Azerbaijani authorities to exploit these matters for political purposes.
Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan made a statement which says:
"1. Armenian servicemen captured and held prisoners by the Azerbaijani military must be released and returned to Armenia.
This must be done immediately and without any preconditions.
But this does not mean that it is permissible for Azerbaijani authorities to continue violating international human rights standards and humanitarian agreements. The return of the prisoners of war is artificially delayed; the accurate numbers are not disclosed; and, even attempts are made to present a smaller number than the real number. All the while, the torture and inhumane treatment of these prisoners continue to take place, as evidenced by the purposeful publication of videos attesting to that; and, the recovery of the bodies of the deceased are being circumvented.
I have already stated that the studies, complaints addressed to Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, reports, as well as 24/7 of the Defender’s Office confirm that these acts are aimed at causing mental suffering to the families of those still in captivity, intended as a means of playing with the emotions of the Armenian society, and aimed at causing and raising tensions in our country.
They are “Prisoners of War” by status, period!
Similarly, all these demands and adherence must also apply to the exchange of the bodies of victims and for the search and rescue of those who are still missing.
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