The Armenian prisoners of war must be immediately released. This was stated by European Parliament member (MEP) Francois-Xavier Bellamy (France) during the discussion on the issue of POWs in the context of the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), at the plenary session of the European Parliament.

The MEP first stressed that they could finally put this important humanitarian issue on the agenda of the European Parliament.

He stressed from the tribune of the European Parliament that Azerbaijan refuses to say how many people are still being held, whereas there are hundreds of families in Armenia who still do not know whether their son is dead, alive, or is captured.

“[Azerbaijan president] Aliyev talks about peace and respect. How can we believe in this when today it is still violating the border of Armenia? No diplomacy can justify this abuse of fundamental rights. The prisoners of war have to be released without any delay,” the MEP concluded.

There was applause at the European Parliament sessions’ hall after his address.