ArmInfo. Artsakh Foerign Ministry commends the letter by 121 members of the European Parliament addressed to the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council on urgent need to release Armenian Prisoners of War currently unlawfully held in Azerbaijan. As the press service of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry informs, the letter reads as follows:
''We highly appreciate the position of the members of the European Parliament to voice about the violations by Azerbaijan of international humanitarian law and uphold the legal demand by Artsakh. This is an exemplary manifestation of humanism, moral values and adherence to norms and principles of international law. We have stated repeatedly that Azerbaijan's systematic denial of prisoner of war status to the Armenian servicemen it holds captive, and its refusal to repatriate them, is a manifest violation of the Geneva Convention (III) Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Clearly, the application of the Geneva Conventions is not suspended at end of hostilities. In fact, when members of the armed forces of a State in dispute with another fall into enemy hands, they are eligible for prisoner of war status- regardless of whether there is full-fledged, active combat between the two States. Combatant immunity of the Armenian servicemen is guaranteed by international humanitarian law, and it cannot be overridden by the political statements of Azerbaijani officials''.
By acceding to the Geneva Conventions, Azerbaijan committed to respecting the provisions of the Conventions in all circumstances, including those regarding the treatment of adversary combatants. Azerbaijan's continued attempt to manufacture bases to deny the application of international humanitarian law in this matter is a blatant circumvention of its obligations under the Conventions.
The immediate repatriation of the Armenian servicemen is a matter of great urgency, as the fundamental right to life of the Armenian captives is not guaranteed in Azerbaijan. Human Rights Watch has reported that the Armenian servicemen held in Azerbaijan are not only arbitrarily deprived their liberty, but they also are being subjected to cruel and degrading treatment and torture. It underscored that the abuse, including the torture of detained Armenian soldiers, is abhorrent and constitutes a war crime. We denounce Azerbaijan's refusal to ensure the protections to which the Armenian captives are entitled under international humanitarian law. The obligation to respect international humanitarian law is a legal commitment owed by Azerbaijan to the entire international community. We appreciate the collective efforts of the international community to condemn the continued captivity of the Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan and to demand their immediate repatriation, and we welcome the continued vigilance by the international community in this regard".
Yesterday, 121 European MPs appealed to the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council with a call to force Azerbaijan to return more than 200 Armenian prisoners of war held after the signing of a ceasefire statement on November 9, 2020.