The UN permanent representative in Azerbaijan has addressed the Secretary and presented a document where our 62 Armenian POWs [in Azerbaijan] are depicted as terrorists. Ani Samsonyan, vice-chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs and an MP of the opposition Bright Armenia Party (BAP), told this to reporters Monday.

"Apparently, an attempt is being made—also ahead of the [Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s] visit to Moscow—to ‘sell’ the exchange of prisoners of war at a higher price to the Armenian side. (…). Apparently, this is a violation of humanitarian law by Azerbaijan because to depict the prisoners of war as a saboteur is against the protection of human rights and against all the rules for the repatriation of prisoners of war during the post-war," Samsonyan added.

When asked about the BAP’s expectations from PM Pashinyan's visit to Moscow on Monday, Ani Samsonyan said: "We should rather worry about how the discussion will go in Moscow. (…). I am deeply concerned that the [Armenian] negotiator, Nikol Pashinyan, who has been ridiculed by the president of Azerbaijan during this period, will sit down for negotiations with the same president; this can create deep moral and psychological obstacles for the [Armenian] negotiator to formulate pro-Armenian solutions in the negotiations."

And asked whether she considers it realistic that, for example, an Armenian exporter will be able to go to Russia via Azerbaijan, Ani Samsonyan said: "We have not propagated hatred in our country for years, whereas today the policy of anti-Armenianism in Azerbaijan is so high, it is not only the [Azerbaijani] society but also the [Azerbaijani] political elite that shows such an attitude towards Armenia. In these conditions, it is difficult to imagine how the safety of our movement [via Azerbaijan] will be guaranteed."