France urges Azerbaijan to release all Armenian "detainees"May 7, 2021 - 13:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - France has joined the United States and Canada in urging Azerbaijan to release all the Armenian prisoners of war. "We call for the expeditious release of all Armenian detainees still being held. Azerbaijan’s release of three Armenian detainees yesterday is a step in the right direction," the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs said in a tweet on Thursday, May 6. U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Global Affairs Canada too published similar calls earlier, describing the prisoners of war as "detainees" and urging "both sides" to release them all, although the Armenian side has returned all Azerbaijani POWs and detained persons. 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 Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. 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. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |