As a result of the long-term work and efforts of the Armenian diplomatic corps in Belgium, the Armenian National Committee of Europe, the issue of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) held by Azerbaijan was on the agenda of this plenary session of the European Parliament. The resolution adopted by the European Parliament calls for the immediate, unconditional release of all Armenian POWs.
Baku should respect the trilateral statement it signed and release the Armenian POWs immediately, said Andrey Kovatchev, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the EPP Faction, Rapporteur on Armenia, and one of the authors of the resolution.
“The official Baku has to fully implement the trilateral ceasefire statement which foresees an exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and all other detainees, as well as the remains of fatalities. However, Azerbaijan describes these people as terrorists and criminals. Azerbaijan should assist the European Court of Human Rights providing with reliable information on the detainees and their well-being. Baku must also close the so-called ‘trophy park’ where the inhuman wax images of the Armenian soldier are shown, which deepens the hostility,” Kovatchev said.
The European Parliament has made clear its demand for the release of all Armenian POWs, both military and civilian, and has called on the Government of Azerbaijan to provide full lists of all those captured as a result of the armed conflict.
“The European Parliament Calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to guarantee free and unimpeded access to prisoners for relevant international organizations. It Calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to cooperate fully with the ECHR on the issue of Armenian prisoners and to comply with the interim measures of the Court.”
The resolution refers to the March 19 Human Rights Watch report on the treatment of Azerbaijanis towards Armenian captives, and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that all human rights guarantees are provided to detainees.
“OSCE Acting Chair and Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde, called on both sides to urgently complete the exchange of detainees. Sides? How many Azerbaijani prisoners of war does Armenia have yet to return? There is only one side in this conflict that completely disregards international humanitarian law, and that is Azerbaijan,” said Swedish member of the European Parliament Charlie Weimers.
The process of the Armenian captives at the European Court of Human Rights was referred in detail, noting that 183 interim measures remain in force, and that on March 9 the Court ruled that Azerbaijan did not comply with those measures. A clear message was also included about the so-called ‘trophy park’ that opened in Baku on April 12, insisting that it should be closed immediately.
The resolution highlights the urgent need to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need, that the security of the Armenian population and its cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh is ensured, and that internally displaced persons and refugees can return to their former places of residence.
“War is never a good solution. It may bring short-term victory, but it also brings death, suffering, and time to wound healing. It is necessary to release all Armenian prisoners immediately, I call on Azerbaijan to fulfill its international obligations, including the ceasefire regime and the implementation of interim decisions of the ECHR,” said Estonian MP of the European Parliament Marina Kaljurand, Head of the Delegation for Relations with the South Caucasus at the European Parliament.
The resolution recalls the efforts of the international community spearheaded by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to find a peaceful, lasting, comprehensive and sustainable solution on the basis of the OSCE 2009 Basic Principles (Non-Use of Force, Territorial Integrity, and the Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples) with the objective of determining the future status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“Azerbaijan obviously violates all rights and the ceasefire agreement. This structure is obliged to study what measures should be taken to respond quickly to such situations. President Aliyev must show that he is indeed a statesman who is going to return prisoners of war,” says Lars Patrick Berg, Member of the European Parliament, Germany.
The resolution states that on 12 May 2021, troops from Azerbaijan temporarily entered the territory of Armenia, which amounts to a violation of the territorial integrity of Armenia and of international law; whereas this violation of Armenian sovereign territory follows worrying statements by Azerbaijani representatives, including the president, which appeared to raise territorial claims and threaten the use of force and thereby undermine the efforts towards security and stability in the region.
