Artsakh Ombudsman: Testimonies of Armenian PoWs obtained under  torture in Baku have no legal force

ArmInfo.The testimonies obtained from Armenian prisoners of war during an illegal trial in Azerbaijan  have no legal force, as they were obtained under torture, as stated by Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan during a protest held outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swiss Embassy in Armenia. The  protest was organized in connection with the alarming situation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in Baku.

Representatives from approximately 40 non-governmental organizations  of Armenia came to the buildings of the aforementioned institutions  and delivered letters addressed to Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan  and President of Switzerland Karin Keller-Sutter.  In a letter to  Mirzoyan, they urged him to use mechanisms of consular access through  third countries to ensure the rights of Armenian captives in Baku.  Specifically, they suggested appealing to a neutral party, like  Switzerland, with a request to provide consular services and  emergency medical care to Ruben Vardanyan. And the President of  Switzerland was asked to ensure that consular services were provided  to Armenian captives.

In a conversation with journalists during the action, Stepanyan  emphasized that the testimonies obtained under pressure from  Azerbaijan cannot be taken seriously by human rights organizations or  the international community. In this regard, the human rights  activist recalled the call of the UN High Commissioner for Human  Rights Volker Turk to release all those arbitrarily detained in  Azerbaijani prisons, including Armenians. According to the Artsakh  Ombudsman, this confirms the illegality of what is happening in  Azerbaijan, therefore, all testimonies obtained within the framework  of this judicial farce have no legal significance. Regarding the  possible closure of the Baku office of the International Committee of  the Red Cross (ICRC), Stepanyan noted that no such statements have  been received at the official level yet. However, if the humanitarian  organization is closed, as the human rights activist explained, one  of the possible ways to obtain information about the captives could  be to contact the consulates of other states accredited in  Azerbaijan.

"We have found ourselves in a situation where it is necessary to use  all available channels. I do not believe that Azerbaijan will spoil  its relations with Switzerland. Ultimately, there must be some kind  of boundary.  However, we must use all means to protect the rights of  our compatriots. It is also important for us that Armenians living in  Switzerland and the country's human rights organizations support our  demands and urge their government to do the same," the human rights  activist noted. The Artsakh Ombudsman stressed the urgency of taking  swift actions and not waiting for responses from the international  community, which is acting too slowly. He stressed the importance of  advancing efforts to free compatriots from Baku dungeons.

Reacting to reports that prisoners of war allegedly refuse to  communicate with their loved ones via video link, Stepanyan noted  that there is a possibility  they may be prevented from doing so in  order to conceal new instances of torture. Stepanyan explained that  this situation is not beneficial to Azerbaijan, and the prisoners are  forced to obey their demands.