Artsakh Foreign Minister appeals to Personal Representative of OSCE  Chairperson in Office on issue of prisoners of war

ArmInfo.On January 19, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh David Babayan sent letters to specialized bodies within United Nations and Council of  Europe as well as to the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and  Personal Representative of the Chairperson in Office in connection  with the situation with the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians  illegally held in detention by Azerbaijan. The press service of the  Artsakh Foreign Ministry reported.

The letters in particular state, that in violation of the trilateral  statement on complete ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities,  signed by the leaders of Armenia, the Russian Federation and  Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020 in December of the same year  Azerbaijan launched an attack and occupied the villages of Khtsaberd  and Hin Tagher in the Hadrut Region of the Republic of Artsakh. As a  result of these offensive actions, 64 servicemen of the Defence army  of the Republic of Artsakh were captured by the Azerbaijani forces.  Later, the Azerbaijani authorities have announced their intention to  prosecute them, which is a violation of international humanitarian  law.

It is underscored, that international humanitarian law, and Geneva  Conventions, in particular, continue to apply after the signing of  the Statement on secession of hostilities, hence the captured  servicemen are Prisoners of War according to the Article 4 of the  Geneva Convention III Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War  and shall be repatriated after the secession of hostilities.  Prosecution of the Prisoners of War by Azerbaijan for the mere fact  that they participated in hostilities is a grave breach to the Third  Geneva Convention.

It is emphasized that Azerbaijan also delays the repatriation of the  rest of the prisoners of war and civilians who fell into Azerbaijan's  hands during and after the armed aggression launched against the  Republic of Artsakh on 27 September, 2020.

The letters underscore that this position of Azerbaijan contradicts  its own commitments to fully implement the trilateral Statement, both  in letter and in spirit, which would help heal the wounds of the  bloody conflict.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh invites to  undertake urgent measures to ensure Azerbaijan's implementation of  the Geneva Conventions and to require official Baku to fulfill its  obligations to guarantee all of the rights afforded to both prisoners  of war and civilians, being kept in detention by Azerbaijan.