Armenian lawmaker stages protest ahead of PACE session

PanARMENIAN.Net - Bright Armenia leader Edmon Marukyan staged a protest before a PACE meeting on Monday, January 25, demanding the release of Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan.

"The PACE meeting began with a protest and demand to exert international pressure on Azerbaijan, insisting on the release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives as soon as possible," Marukyan wrote on Facebook.

The lawmaker also shared a video of himself standing in front of the hall where the meeting was set to be held and holding a sign that read: "Freedom to the Armenian prisoners of war kept in Azerbaijan."

The first batch of 44 Armenian POWs returned from Azerbaijan in mid-December, although Armenian officials said many more people were being held in Baku. Dozens of others, both servicemen and civilians, have been captured after the completion of military hostilities. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said in one of his speeches that the newly detained persons are not prisoners of war but “terrorists”. Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan has said, meanwhile, that at least 120 Armenian prisoners of war are being held in Azerbaijan. Sahakyan represents the rights of some of the Karabakh POWs before the European Court of Human Rights. The lawyer said there is enough evidence proving the capture of said persons, which the Armenian side will submit to international agencies and courts.