EU urges Azerbaijan to return all Armenian POWs

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union is calling for the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan, lead spokesperson for the EU external affairs Peter Stano said Friday, January 29.

"[EU] welcomes release of 5 [Armenian] servicemen captured by [Azerbaijan] in November and calls for the immediate release of the 57 remaining in custody," Stano tweeted.

"This would contribute to building confidence between both countries which is important for lasting peace in the region."

Azerbaijan has been delaying the return of Armenian captives and POWs, with official Baku threatening to prosecute those still in captivity. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said in one of his speeches that the remaining detained persons are not prisoners of war but “terrorists”. Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan has said, meanwhile, that more than 100 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.