PACE suspects "enforced disappearance" of Armenian PoWs in Azerbaijan

PACE suspects

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is concerned about the fate of around 30 Armenians, seen, filmed or photographed in Azerbaijani captivity, with no indication as to their current whereabouts, according to a report approved by PACE on Monday, September 27.

The Assembly said these persons could have been subjected to enforced disappearances and possibly killed. PACE called on the Azerbaijani authorities to expedite their investigations on this matter and provide relevant information to the European Court of Human Rights and to Armenia.

Dozens of videos of Azeri troops cutting the throats and ears of Armenians have been spreading online since the final days of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijanis subject the Armenian POWs and captives to physical abuse and humiliation. The videos depict Azerbaijani captors variously slapping, kicking, and prodding Armenian POWs, and compelling them, under obvious duress and with the apparent intent to humiliate, to kiss the Azerbaijani flag. In most of the videos, the captors’ faces are visible, suggesting that they did not fear being held accountable.

The Assembly noted that under Article 8 of the Trilateral statement “An exchange of prisoners of war … is to be carried out” and that both countries claim to have complied with this. The Assembly however notes the concerns of the European Court of Human Rights, communicated to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 16 March 2021, in relation to 188 Armenians captured by Azerbaijan (some of whom have since been returned to Armenia).

According to the Assembly, under the Geneva Convention (III) Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Geneva Convention (IV) Relative to the Protection of Civilian persons in time of War, both Azerbaijan and Armenia have binding obligations to repatriate prisoners of war and release civilian persons without delay after the secession of active hostilities.

PACE said the clear intention of Article 8 of the Trilateral statement was the exchange of all detained persons, without distinction as to the status assigned by one or other of the parties.

The Assembly expressed concern over the detention conditions of around 48 Armenians captured after the Trilateral statement, who are still in captivity, most of whom have undergone or are undergoing speedy criminal trials, which raise fair trial issues under the European Convention on Human Rights.

It called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release all remaining captives and return them to Armenia without further delay.

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