Armenian civilians and servicemen captured by Azerbaijan have been systematically tortured; this refers not only to the deliberate physical suffering, causing pain, but also to causing mental suffering. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, stated this at Wednesday’s press conference dedicated to his report on the torture and inhuman treatment of Armenians in Azerbaijani captivity.

He noted that, according to the facts, the Azerbaijani servicemen, special services’ officers, and prison staff who even tried to treat the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians a little better were subjected to special punishment.

"Of course, the cruelest treatment, conditions were during and immediately after being captured, especially by the [Azerbaijani] special services," said Tatoyan.

The ombudsman emphasized that this torture, humiliation, and inhumane treatment was widespread, ridiculing ethnicity and gross violations of religious rights.

He said the Azerbaijanis had treated very harshly during medical examinations, too.

Tatoyan presented other examples of Azerbaijani atrocities.

According to the Human Rights Defender, the Armenian captives in Azerbaijan were virtually deprived of hygienic means.

"During the private conversations with me, almost all the captives mentioned that as soon as the Azerbaijanis knew that there would be a visit by the Red Cross or the Russian military, they began to treat [them] as normal, and took to private talk the people they treated as normal, or prepared for [it] in advance," Tatoyan said. .

He noted that the Azerbaijanis were particularly cruel to receiving information, and, moreover, not the reality, but what the Azerbaijani authorities or the military want.

Tatoyan added that these Armenian captives were forced to sign documents in the Azerbaijani language, mocking and spitting on people, forcing them to make words of praise to the president of Azerbaijan, and humiliating Armenia. When they were filmed, these captives were forced to say positive things about their treatment.

Arman Tatoyan said that the Armenian servicemen who had fought in the April 2016 war or in the first Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the early 1990s were treated with a particular cruelty.

According to him, they have clear evidence that religious human rights have been violated; who had a cross, it was destroyed right in front of their eyes, then they were demonstratively to the church,  and forced to tell the reporters that they were being treated well.

"The treatment of [Armenian] civilians was also cruel," Arman Tatoyan added.