The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, on Friday had a working discussion with Tanya Lokshina, associate director for Europe and Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch.

Tatoyan informed that the Azerbaijani authorities are artificially delaying the return of Armenian captives and the exchange of the dead in Azerbaijan, and this issue requires an urgent solution.

During the meeting, the Human Rights Defender pointed to the Azerbaijani policy of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by terrorist methods.

Also, the ombudsman thanked Human Rights Watch for confirming—with a special report—Azerbaijan use of banned cluster munitions against civilians in Artsakh.

On November 9, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement on a complete cessation of hostilities—which Azerbaijan had launched on September 27—in and around Artsakh.