YEREVAN. – The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia reminds Azerbaijan of international requirements. Even if it were not for the eighth point of the November 9 trilateral statement, Azerbaijan would be obliged to return the Armenian POWs. Armenia’s ombudsman Arman Tatoyan said this during Friday’s discussion of the annual report of the Human Rights Defender's Office, at the of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs of the National Assembly.

He noted that Azerbaijan initially tried to present these Armenian detainees as terrorists. "Then they changed their policy. Now Baku says they have no terrorists at all; this is a position that clearly contradicts international principles. Regardless of whether it is before November 9, 2020, before or after the [recent Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] war, we have an open, ongoing military conflict, and this conflict is not over yet. According to international humanitarian law, any person held captive during this period has the status of a prisoner. That is why, under the Geneva Convention, any persecution of a captive person is prohibited. Moreover, it is, in fact, a policy that leads to war crimes," Tatoyan said.

The ombudsman noted that Azerbaijan is constantly referring to paragraph 8 of the November 9 statement of last year, announcing to the international community that it is implementing it. "But it is not their kindness or goodwill, but their duty. (…). This is an international requirement, and it would have applied even if that provision were not in the document," Tatoyan stressed.

According to the ombudsman, the international community is now increasing the pressure on this issue, whereas Azerbaijan is politicizing it in order to cause spiritual suffering, especially to the families of the Armenian captives and missing persons.