Three new prisoners in the recent 20 days: two civilians, one reservist.
Armenia appealed to the European Court of Human Rights on August 16 for reservist Gagik Voskanyan, who was captured by Azerbaijan, with a request to apply an interim measure against Azerbaijan.
The office of Armenia’s representative on international legal matters appealed to the international court immediately after the incident.
The Ministry of Defense of Armenia published a video about the incident, thus denying the claim of the Azerbaijani side that Gagik Oskanyan was in a sabotage group and that they prevented the infiltration attempt. In the video, it is clearly seen that a group of Azerbaijani servicemen approach the reservist who appeared on the Azerbaijani side, under unknown circumstances, first talk to him, then arrest him and take him by car to an unknown direction. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross have not yet met Voskanyan, but the issue is in the center of attention.
Zara Amatuni (head of communication programs of the ICRC delegation) - At the moment, we cannot confirm any other steps on the public platform, but our work is being carried out, that is, to find out the circumstances, within the framework of our humanitarian mandate, to contact the relevant authorities to organize a meeting immediately.
The office of the representative of Armenia on international legal matters has also submitted objections to the ECHR regarding the case of Vagif Khachatchyan, who was abducted from the illegal checkpoint of the Lachin Corridor on July 30. On August 9, the European Court transferred to Armenia the information provided by Azerbaijan about Khachatryan's place of detention, conditions, health condition, medical care received and possible return.
Hasmik Samvelyan (Press Spokesperson of the Office of the Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Matters) - In the case of Vagif Khachatryan, yesterday was the deadline set by the court for the Armenian side to present its objections and position, we sent them without breaking the deadline.
The representatives of the Red Cross visited Vagif Khachatryan, who was kidnapped on the way to the medical center of Armenia accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, on August 11, and he was given the opportunity to contact his relatives by letter. On August 14, the humanitarian organization met and had a private conversation with Rashid Beglaryan, who was captured by the State Border Service of Azerbaijan on August 1. He left the village of Hin Shen in the Shushi region and, according to the law enforcement agencies of Nagorno-Karabakh, appeared in the territory under the control of Azerbaijan.
Zara Amatuni - The Red Cross does not disclose the information about Khachatryan and Beglaryan's conditions of detention, their treatment and health status.
In addition to these three cases, according to official data, there are 35 more Armenian prisoners in Baku. They were captured by the 2020 war and subsequent escalations. Representatives of the Red Cross visited them for the last time at the end of July.
Zara Amatuni - In their case, in addition to Red Cross’ letters, other means of communication were used, they were given the opportunity to exchange video messages with family members, make phone calls.
Artak Zeynalyan, the representative of the prisoners' interests at the European Court, claimed that the Armenian prisoners of war are being held illegally in Azerbaijan, moreover, the terms of the disputes established in the fabricated court cases have expired in some cases, but the persons continue to remain in prison.
Artak Zeynalyan (representative of prisoners' interests at the ECHR) - Regarding some of the 36, if there were deadlines, then those deadlines have expired, regarding some of them there is also a decision to change the type of punishment, the decision of their highest court, they were made on the basis of agreements, which their leader took over in the presence of the President of the Council of Europe, the terms of punishment have been changed, they can now be free, they can be handed over to the Armenian side.
Armenia has also included the facts about the violated rights of prisoners in the interstate complaint against Azerbaijan in the ECHR.
