ArmInfo.Official Yerevan has responded to the killings of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijani troops.
Armenia's foreign office issued the following statement:
"Numerous videos regularly released by Azerbaijani users on social media demonstrate the war crimes, extrajudicial killings of Armenian prisoners of war, torture of Armenian servicemen, including women, and desecration of corpses committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces.
"The Republic of Armenia demands a clear assessment of the appalling war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces in this and previous periods. We will consistently pursue to voice the issue in relevant international platforms and courts and bring to justice the perpetrators and organizers of the above- mentioned crimes, including by the application of international sanctions. In this context, a due international investigation is imperative.
At the same time, the international community is obliged to increase pressure on Azerbaijan for the immediate repatriation of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held in Azerbaijan, clarification of cases of enforced disappearances, and the fates of the missing persons."
The Office of the RA Representative for International Legal Affairs on October 3 will send statements to international courts concerning the killings of Armenian POWs. According to an official report, experts are examining the footage and the office will send statements to the European Court and the U.N. International Court.
Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, tweeted:
"Another horrible video has emerged of Armenian prisoners of war apparently being executed. If this video is proven to be authentic then this is a war crime that needs to be investigated and the perpetrators punished.
"Today I have been sent several videos apparently showing war crimes committed against Azerbaijanis. Also these need to be investigated and if authentic perpetrators need to be held responsible. The conflict has left deep wounds on both sides and to heal accountability is needed." The authenticity of the video showing the execution of Armenian prisoners of war has been confirmed, Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan said in a statement.
According to her, the video is new and was shot during a large-scale attack by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia on September 13.
"The fact is confirmed by the study of the terrain, comparison with similar videos available in our and other databases, as well as the complex combination of weather conditions, uniforms of servicemen, conversation of Azerbaijani servicemen and other parameters," the Defender said.
"This is yet another war crime committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces based on the consistent policy of Armenophobia manifested in the educational content, all spheres of public life and in the statements of the President of the country. This is also recorded in the recent report of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerning Azerbaijan," Grigoryan added,
This video will be included in the Ad Hoc Report of the Human Rights Defender and sent to international organizations and actors.
"Today, the UN calendar celebrates the "International day of Non-Violence." However, the inadequate response of structures with an international human rights mandate to these war crimes, unfortunately, carries the risk of filling such new days in the UN calendar," the Ombudsperson said.