The study of the collected videos and photos shows that the tortures, cruelties and inhuman treatment by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against Armenian POWs have been committed with motives of ethnic hatred. This is stated in the statement issued by Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan.

The statement also particularly states the following:

“Today we completed the analysis of 297 videos and photos showing the Azerbaijanis’ atrocities against Armenian servicemen and civilians, the destruction of and disrespect towards Armenian historical, cultural, and religious heritage.

These videos and photos particularly concern the following (update: more than one video or photo may concern the same person):

98 of them concern torture and degradation of captives who are alive;

17 of them concern beheadings and murders;

32 of them concern disrespect towards the bodies of the deceased and amputations of body parts (i.e. cutting a hand or ear);

54 of them concern management of pages of social networks of POWs, including dissemination of hatred and spread of the photo of the beheaded serviceman on the page;

49 of them concern the use of prohibited weapons of mass destruction containing chemical elements against civilian settlements and forests;

26 of them concern destruction and vandalism of Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage, including monuments and churches;

12 concern the websites and social networks (Telegram, Instagram, etc.) through which videos or photos inciting hatred and enmity, as well as the Azerbaijani cruelties against Armenian POWs;

9 of them concern the involvement or participation of terrorist mercenaries in the war.

The videos have been translated into English, and some of them are currently being translated into Russian. The authenticity of all the videos and photos is confirmed with the official logo of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

The study of the collected videos and photos shows that the tortures, cruelties and inhuman treatment by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against Armenian POWs have been committed with motives of ethnic hatred, meaning they were committed only because the victims were Armenian.

Armenian historical, cultural and religious heritage, including monuments and churches have been destroyed or vandalized under the same principle.

The bodies of the Azerbaijani authorities need to understand that they won’t remain unpunished for the gross violations of human rights, war crimes, systematic advocacy of Armenophobia and their genocidal policy.

The studies of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and the findings of the investigation into the complaints continue to affirm that the Azerbaijani authorities, by grossly violating the requirements of international humanitarian law and human rights, are delaying the release of Armenian captives and their return to their homeland and are deliberately not announcing the real number of captives.

With this policy, they are not only violating the rights of Armenian captives being kept illegally in Azerbaijan, but also causing mental suffering to them and the families of those deemed to be missing, with the intention to contribute to the tension in Armenian society.

All the mentioned videos and photos will be forwarded to relevant international organizations, as well as the state bodies of Armenia with necessary specifications.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia continues to collect and study the evidence of Azerbaijani atrocities.”