The trials against Armenian captives continue with gross violations of international law in Azerbaijan. This is what Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook page, adding the following:
“Today and yesterday, the court hearings over the criminal cases grossly violating the rights of Armenian captives Lyudvik Mkrtchyan, Alyosha Khosrovyan and Vigen Euljekian were held with gross violations of their rights and violations of international law.
The Azerbaijani press releases show that the Armenian captives are charged with allegedly torturing, setting up armed formations or groups not provided for by law and committing other acts.
The Human Rights Defender of Armenia records that all the mentioned persons were captured during the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict and the conflict is not over. All Armenian servicemen and civilians detained in Azerbaijan are captives.
Consequently, any type of persecution or trial against any one of them is a gross violation of international law, and keeping them in custody —prohibited and punishable.
Moreover, the Azerbaijani authorities are launching criminal prosecution against the Armenian captives on the ground of their “confessional testimonies” and using them as evidence. These gross violations of international law are enshrined in the Special Report of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani authorities aren’t disclosing the real number of captives. The studies of the Human Rights Defender and the complaints from the parents of captives and missing servicemen go to show that the trials are causing additional mental suffering to their families and sparking tension in Armenian society.
The Human Rights Defender calls the international community’s attention to these facts and the Azerbaijani authorities’ ongoing gross violations of human rights and the policy that continues to undermine international humanitarian requirements.
All Armenian captives being illegally kept in Azerbaijan must be immediately released and returned to Armenia, without any precondition.”
