It is now 1000 days since the tripartite statement was signed on November 9, 2020, yet Azerbaijan continues to hold around 35 confirmed Armenian prisons of war (POWs) captive in Baku.
The ECHR Human rights defenders dealing with issues of Armenian POWs presented irrefutable evidence suggesting that there are undeclared POWs, putting their actual estimates at 80. Among the confirmed 35 POWs, 2 more Armenian servicemen were recently kidnapped from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia on May 16, 2023. Additionally, just last week Azerbaijan kidnapped 2 more civilians, Vagif Khachatryan from the International Red Cross vehicle on July 29, and Rashid Beglaryan near the Aghavno village on August 1.
Most of the POWs currently held captive in Baku are facing trumped-up criminal cases in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has and continues to violate several serious international laws, namely ”Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War”. According to Article 13 of the Convention: ”Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated.
Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest.” By not returning the POWs, Azerbaijan is violating the tripartite statement signed on November 9, 2020, which requires the immediate return of POWs and detained individuals.
Source: 301