Today the issue of humanitarian consequences of the conflict was discussed at the sitting of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, said Tatevik Hayrapetyan, member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, MP of the ‘My Step’ parliamentary faction.
“Paul Gavan from Iceland, who prepared a comprehensive report on the issue, presented the preliminary text of the statement on the fate of the missing in the aftermath of the conflict. It was clearly recorded that according to the March 16, 2021 ECHR press release, interim measures taken by the Court on 188 Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan remain in force. In this regard, it is very worrying that the Court has informed the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe that the Government of Azerbaijan “does not respect the relevant deadlines set by the Court for the submission of relevant information about those people; it provides general, limited information.” This is a matter of concern for the fate of these individuals, taking into consideration the recent credible evidence of torture against Armenian prisoners of war, as reported by Human Rights Watch.
Therefore, it is necessary for Azerbaijan to fully cooperate with the Court, providing information on the whereabouts of these people, who are presented according to the Court list, as well as assuring that they will be returned immediately. It is also mentioned in the statement that the long-term humanitarian consequences of the conflict will not disappear unless there is a political solution. Azerbaijan and Armenia are equally responsible for peacebuilding. The first steps include the return of all prisoners of war, the location identification of missing persons, co-operation in demining, respect for each other’s cultural heritage and their protection, exclusion of hate speech, and the voluntary, safe and dignified return of all displaced persons, and the promotion of truth and reconciliation.
In my speech on this issue, I recorded: “The issue of prisoners of war is very urgent, this issue should not be politicized in any way, as it is purely humanitarian. The Azerbaijani side is behaving in a destructive, unacceptable manner, as evidenced by the fact that the ECHR informed the Committee of Ministers that Azerbaijan does not respect the deadlines set by the Court and does not provide relevant information. The lives of Armenians detained in Baku are in danger, especially when the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister has stated that they are not going to return prisoners of war. The Committee must have a clear position on such behavior by Azerbaijan. We, the deputies, are constantly asked what Europe is doing to force Azerbaijan to return the prisoners of war. What should we say to the families of prisoners of war? Tell us.
I would also like to draw your attention to Azerbaijan’s policy of destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage, which is being implemented by the direct order of Ilham Aliyev. I hope that the rapporteur will address this issue in his report, too. Azerbaijan’s goal is to eliminate the Armenian trace from the region. It is a state policy.
As for the issue about the minefields, voiced by Azerbaijan, it is an artificial topic by which Azerbaijan is trying to hide its policy on prisoners of war. The Azerbaijani side has never addressed us on this issue. I would advise to cooperate with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk on this issue.”
Pierre-Alain Friedes (Switzerland), the Chairman of the Committee, in his concluding speech mentioned that he was going to make a statement on this issue on his behalf, as it could not be extended any longer. Azerbaijan is obliged to cooperate with the ECHR, and the PACE must support the ECHR,” Hayrapetyan wrote on her Facebook page.
