Armenia wants international pressure on Azerbaijan for return of POWsFebruary 6, 2021 - 14:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan has said Armenia expects pressure from international agencies to ensure the repatriation of all Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan. Avanesyan was meeting the acting head of the Council of Europe's Yerevan office Maxime Longangue, as well as project officer at the Human Rights Protection in Biomedicine program Mary Katvalyan on Friday, February 5. "The Armenian side has organized the proper medical care of the Azerbaijani captives both during and after the war, and [arranged] their return afterwards," The Health Minister said. "Today, however, Armenian citizens are still in captivity, and in that context we expect the pressure of the international bodies in organizing their return as soon as possible." Several dozen 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. Longangue and Katvalyan, meanwhile, presented the prospects for the implementation of the Human Rights Protection in Biomedicine program in Armenia, and expressed readiness to respond to the needs of the Ministry. The sides also considered the opportunity given to Armenia to be the first country where such a program is implemented. 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 | 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. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. |