Three more Armenian prisoners of war return homeMay 4, 2021 - 21:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Three more Armenian prisoners of war were released from the Azerbaijani captivity on Tuesday, May 4, Armenpress reports citing Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan’s office. The plane carrying the captives landed in Yerevan on Tuesday evening, hours after several media outlets and social media users began spreading information about their possible return. According to a statement provided by Avinyan’s office, Azerbaijan returned the Armenian prisoners of war "thanks to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, amid growing international pressure." “We are hopeful that this process will have its logical continuation and will be settled soon,” the statement reads. The move comes a day after it was revealed that 19 of the hundreds of Armenian civilians and servicemen, who were taken captive by Azerbaijan during and after military hostilities in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), have been tortured and killed. So far, more than 70 Armenian POWs have returned home. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claims that persons still being kept in Baku are not prisoners of war but “terrorists and saboteurs”. Officials and human rights advocates from the Armenian side, however, maintain Azerbaijan is still holding hundreds of people hostage, pledging to submit evidence proving the capture of said persons to international agencies and courts. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. |