Ruling majority in Armenia`s National Assembly fails to adopt a  statement regarding Armenian POWs

ArmInfo.The ruling majority in the National Assembly of Armenia failed to adopt a statement regarding Armenian prisoners of war. Thirty opposition MPs voted in favor of the document, while the ruling Civil Contract faction did not participate in the vote.

Before the vote, Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the National Assembly from the opposition I  Have the Honor faction, presented the draft statement. He stated that  Azerbaijan is still using the language of blackmail and threats when  communicating with Armenia. Despite numerous international calls for  the release of all Armenian prisoners of war before the 29th  Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate  Change (COP 29) and the ongoing negotiations between Armenia and  Azerbaijan, the issue of prisoners remains unresolved. Abrahamyan  emphasized that this reflects the irreconcilable and hateful policy  of official Baku, highlighting that Azerbaijan continues to make the  release of prisoners conditional on the use of force or the threat of  force in bilateral relations. 

 "By resolving the Artsakh issue through military means in 2020,  committing aggression and occupying part of Armenia's territory in  2021-2023, and resorting to ethnic cleansing as a result of military  actions against Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, Baku has  demonstrated that its main goal is not to settle relations with  Yerevan, but to achieve the goals of Turkey and Azerbaijan at the  expense of Armenia's vital interests," the MP said.  He added that  Azerbaijan's aggressive policy over the past four years has also  shown that, in addition to using the language of threats and  blackmail, Baku uses the issue of Armenian prisoners of war in its  relations with Yerevan to achieve its goal. This is evident when,  according to international humanitarian norms, all prisoners of war  should have been immediately returned to their homeland after  military actions. 

Abrahamyan noted that this appeal is not related to the relations  between the Armenian opposition and the government, but is instead  directed towards the international community. Due to the genocidal  policy of the Azerbaijani authorities, there are currently 23  Armenians in prisons in Baku, including  former military and  political leaders of Artsakh.  "I would like to remind the   Azerbaijani authorities that, according to the fundamental  principles of human rights, official Baku must immediately release  all prisoners of war. Violating international humanitarian law  carries immediate international accountability for both the state and  its leadership, with no time limit.  International norms also dictate  that when states sign a peace treaty, it includes the exchange of  prisoners and prisoners of war. Moreover, this is perceived as the  first step towards achieving peace," the oppositionist emphasized,  urging international structures to take proactive measures to  facilitate the return of Armenian prisoners of war.