Azerbaijan violating international norms concerning Armenian prisoners - MP

ArmInfo. Opposition Armenian MP Taguhi Tovmasyan posted the following message on her  Facebook account: 

"I have sent letters to nearly four dozen international organizations  and colleagues regarding the issue of Armenian prisoners being held  in Baku, Azerbaijan. The detention of these individuals represents a  clear violation of international humanitarian norms, and urgent  action is required to address this serious breach of human rights.

"As a representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia,  responsible for protecting human rights, I have received numerous  alerts regarding the conditions of 23 officially confirmed Armenian  prisoners and hostages held in a Baku prison.

"Unfortunately, aside from monthly visits by the International  Committee of the Red Cross, there is minimal international access to  these detainees, and information about their conditions remains  limited.  Even during phone calls with their relatives, the prisoners  provide only vague updates, with no specific details about their  treatment.

"On June 13 of this year, the international legal team representing  Ruben Vardanyan, a prisoner in Azerbaijan, submitted a report to the  UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, detailing incidents of torture and  ill-treatment. Additionally, the wife of Vigen Euljekyan, a  Lebanese-Armenian captured in 2021, recently revealed alarming  details about his situation to the media.

"There is no doubt that Armenian prisoners are being subjected to  torture and mistreatment, with some of these cases already documented  and reported to the UN Committee Against Torture during its April  2024 session.

"The detention of eight public political figures from  Nagorno-Karabakh has been extended without justification. Initially  set at four months, the preventative detention order issued in May  was extended by five months. While Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General  recently announced that these cases have been submitted to the court,  there has been no real progress.

"In the meantime, Azerbaijan is preparing for COP29, which they are  branding as the "Peace COP."

"Given these serious concerns, I have urged my international partners  to take the following actions within their mandate:

"Demand the release of Armenian prisoners and hostages before COP29,  if Azerbaijan truly intends for it to be a "Peace COP."

"If judicial proceedings occur, insist that they adhere to  international legal standards, and allow for the presence of  international observers and media during the trials."