European Parliament demands that Baku immediately release Armenian prisoners of war
YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA/. The European Parliament adopted on Thursday a resolution demanding that Azerbaijan immediately release Armenian prisoners of war.
The document was adopted with 464 votes in favor, 115 against and 39 abstentions, the Armenian Public Television reported.
The resolution titled “Illegal detention of Armenian prisoners, including high-ranking political representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan and fabricated trials against them” condemns the inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijan and demands their immediate and unconditional release, expresses deep concern about cases of torture and ill-treatment and calls for an independent investigation into these violations.
The European Parliament also called on the Azerbaijani authorities to comply with their international obligations, including the Geneva Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights, demanded that the EU and international organizations facilitate the deployment of humanitarian and medical missions to assess the conditions of detainees, stressed the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to release Armenian prisoners and ensure their protection and hold accountable those responsible for their ill-treatment.
The resolution strongly condemns the decision of the Azerbaijani government to close the offices of UN bodies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which seriously impedes international humanitarian efforts and monitoring mechanisms.
The document calls on the UN International Criminal Court and its Prosecutor General to investigate cases of forced deportations, persecution and ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, welcomed the statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk demanding the immediate release and safe return of all prisoners of war, detainees and other arrested persons illegally held in Azerbaijan, including high-ranking Nagorno-Karabakh officials. -0-
