Urgency of Armenian PoWs' repatriation raised in Vatican

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has raised the urgency of the return of Armenian captives illegally detained in Baku and Azerbaijan's violation of the rights of the border residents of Armenia during a meeting with the Cardinal Secretary of State at the Vatican.

Tatoyan is currently in Rome as part of a delegation led by the Catholicos of All Armenians, Karekin II. Meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Wednesday, October 6, Tatoyan handed over to the Vatican Secretary of State his reports on and evidence of Azerbaijan's torture and ill-treatment of Armenian captives in the aftermath of the Second Karabakh War in fall 2020.

The Ombudsman stressed the urgency of the repatriation of the Armenian captives, emphasizing Baku's gross violations of international law and adding that the Armenian PoWs are being used as bargaining chips.

Tatoyan also weighed in on the Azerbaijani military's incursion into Armenian soil and their deployment on roads connecting civilian settlements, which he said has endangered people's lives and health and is accompanied by looting, threats and indiscriminate shootings.

Azerbaijani forces violated Armenia’s border in several sections in the provinces of Syunik and Gegharkunik on May 12 and 13 and are still refusing to withdraw their troops from the area. Since then, almost a dozen Armenian servicemen have been killed in Azerbaijan’s shooting, a dozen others have been wounded.