Issue of Armenian prisoners must be settled before signing of  Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement - human rights activist

ArmInfo.The issue of the return of Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku must be resolved before the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as peace cannot be ensured without a resolution to humanitarian issues. This  was stated by Siranush Sahakyan, director of the Center for  International Comparative Law, during a discussion on the rights of  Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku.

The human rights activist recalled that, according to official data,  there are currently 23 prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, eight of whom  are members of the military-political leadership of Artsakh, and five  were taken hostage in 2020. "This means that Azerbaijan is currently  illegally holding both Armenian prisoners taken during the 44-day war  of 2020 and during the forced displacement of the Artsakh population  in 2023," the human rights activist explained.

She also noted that among them are several dozen people considered  forcibly disappeared. According to Sahakyan, the latest data puts  their number at approximately 80, but she noted that the number could  be much higher. In this regard, Sahakyan regretfully noted that the  lack of an independent international organization essentially  deprives the Armenian side of the opportunity to learn about the fate  of prisoners, as well as any deaths. "That is, all information  regarding prisoners is one-sided and incomplete. Moreover, it is  unverifiable. Currently, we have information that the European  Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) visited Azerbaijan. We  do not deny that members of their organization visited, including  Armenian prisoners of war, but at this time I will refrain from  providing further information on this matter.  We will return to this  during the next meeting and provide some details," the human rights  activist assured.

Regarding Azerbaijan's demand to withdraw its claims from  international courts, Sahakyan noted that this sends a clear message:  "Any legal action against Azerbaijan threatens their security, as it  neutralizes that country's aggressive policy." In this vein, she  lamented that the Republic of Armenia, represented by the Armenian  authorities, is about to abandon the only effective mechanism for  protecting its legitimate interests-the legal one. "In other words,  we are about to abandon the field in which we were victorious and  return to where we were previously, so to speak, beaten," Sahakyan  noted. In this vein, she stated that the Armenian public needs to  understand that the country is dealing with a society in which the  concepts of hero and criminal are perceived very differently.

Yeghishe Kirakosyan, head of the YSU Master's program in  International Courts and Arbitration, also noted the risks if Armenia  withdraws its international claims. He noted that, given the illegal  trials being conducted in Azerbaijan, the rejection of international  legal mechanisms could lead to all trials involving Armenian  prisoners of war becoming one-sided. "That is, even if trials in  international courts have not yet yielded any results, we must  understand that they are necessary, if only to balance the situation.  This is especially important from the perspective of a state that has  lost the war," Kirakosyan explained. He also emphasized that a court  ruling regarding Azerbaijan's crimes is not enough. He emphasized  that lobbying by the Armenian side to implement these rulings is  crucial.

In conclusion, Kirakosyan expressed his conviction that peace is  impossible until humanitarian issues are resolved, recalling that  this principle is also reflected in the Geneva Conventions.  "Humanitarian issues are a component of establishing peace, and legal  processes in this sense allow us to demonstrate that the parties are  ready for real peace," the human rights activist concluded.

As a reminder, 23 Armenians are currently being held in Azerbaijani  prisons, including 16 individuals captured following Azerbaijan's  military attack on Artsakh on September 19, 2023. Among the captives  are eight former Artsakh officials: former presidents Arkady  Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan; parliament speaker  David Ishkhanyan; former state minister Ruben Vardanyan; former  commander of the Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan; former deputy  commander David Manukyan; and former foreign minister David Babayan.