The immediate return of Armenian prisoners of war and captives held in Azerbaijan is the issue that Minister of Justice of Armenia Karen Andreasyan raised during his meeting with co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for monitoring of obligations and commitments by Armenia Kimmo Kiljunen and Boriana Aberg today, as reported the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Justice.

The minister expressed gratitude for the resolution that the PACE adopted on the humanitarian consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on September 27, 2021 and informed the co-rapporteurs about the cases of tortures against and cruel treatment of Armenian captives and civilians being held in Azerbaijan which are documented by international organizations as well. In particular, the co-rapporteurs were presented to the factual data confirmed through preliminary investigation and the accounts of witnesses about the Azerbaijan Armed Forces’ tortures against Armenian prisoners of war and civilians being held, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, extrajudicial murders, as well as other gross violations of the norms of international humanitarian law.

Among other issues, the justice minister also touched upon the reforms underway in the justice sector in Armenia.