ArmInfo. Armenia continues working to have all the Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan returned, Armenia's Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan told reporters on January 8.
He noted that, basically, the solution to this problem is dealt with by the country's foreign policy department, which is making efforts to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. Both Armenian ambassadors in various countries of the world and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross are involved in solving the problem. Various international platforms are also used. Representatives of the ICRC carry out visits to Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijani prisons, about which the Armenian public is informed, and they are provided with periodic assistance in establishing connections with family and friends.
In parallel, work is underway through the RA representation on international legal issues, especially when it comes to submitting lawsuits to international legal organizations in order to protect the rights of compatriots. "The ongoing work is really extensive, and its implementation in the near future will make it possible to evaluate what has been achieved," Minasyan noted, adding that the country's authorities, when determining the number of prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan, are guided by the data of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia. "In relation to some of our compatriots, the Azerbaijani side has different approaches, the Armenian side has different ones, but in any case we are guided by the data of the RA Investigative Committee," he said.
He added that the work carried out is already producing results. "An important event occurred in December: over 30 compatriots returned from Azerbaijani captivity, and Armenia, in turn, freed two Azerbaijanis," the minister said.
On December 13 last year, the Azerbaijani authorities released 32 Armenian prisoners of war in exchange for two Azerbaijanis. This became possible thanks to a joint statement by the offices of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Administration of the President of the Republic of Armenia. "Guided by the principles of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, the Republic of Azerbaijan releases 32 Armenian military personnel. In turn, the Republic of Armenia, guided by the principles of humanism and as a gesture of goodwill, releases 2 Azerbaijani military personnel," the joint statement said.