The Group of Public Monitors Implementing Supervision over the Criminal-Executive Institutions and Bodies of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia has issued the following press release:

“During the 44-day war that Azerbaijan unleashed against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Armenian side detained two citizens of Syria against whom arrest was applied as a pre-trial measure.

The citizens are charged under several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia, including mercenarism, international terrorism and serious violations of the norms of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts.

The Group of Public Monitors Implementing Supervision over the Criminal-Executive Institutions and Bodies of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter referred to as “the Group”) has monitored the conditions for keeping the citizens during a visit to criminal-executive institutions.

Proceeding from security considerations, the mentioned persons are being kept in two different cells of the particular institution. The Group records that their cells fall in line with the standards provided for one person. In particular, there are bathrooms in the cells, as well as constant water supply, a sufficient temperature and a possibility for air conditioning in the cell.

The administration of the institution told the Group that the citizens eat three times a day and have undergone two checkups twice, as a result of which no health problems have been recorded.

Thus, the Group records that the mercenaries are being kept in line with international standards at the criminal-executive institution."