YEREVAN. – In 1999, Azerbaijan joined—but with a reservation—Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which abolishes the death penalty. Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia Kristine Grigoryan stated this at Thursday’s meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, during the discussion on this protocol, answering a question by the chairman of the committee Vladimir Vardanyan.

According to this reservation, capital punishment can be used only in case of the start of hostilities and even in case of threat of war.

"In Azerbaijan, the death penalty can be applied also in case of committing a war crime by a person. However, the Convention allows a reservation only in the event of particularly severe war crimes during hostilities. Thus, the reservation voiced by the Azerbaijani side contradicts the requirements of the given convention," Vardanyan said, noting that the countries that had supported this convention and joined it at the time were dissatisfied with such decision by Baku.

It is obvious that in this way, the Azerbaijani authorities are trying to give a "legal justification" to the killing of Armenian POWs, which is a gross violation of international law.