Armenian soldiers visit Tsakanyan family after returning from Baku

PanARMENIAN.Net - Several of the 44 Armenian prisoners of war who returned home from Azerbaijan in mid-December have visited the family of Smbat Tsakanyan who at the age of 17 was killed by two Azeri saboteurs back in 2014. The two were among the twelve Azeri POWs who were swapped through Russia's mediation on December 14.

According to a reportage prepared by the Public Television of Armenia, Smbat's family facilitated in the repatriation of the Armenian captives from Azerbaijan. The group of soldiers thanked them for their efforts because the sides to the conflict had agreed to an "all for all" principle in the POW exchange process.

The first batch of 44 Armenian POWs returned from Azerbaijan in mid-December, although Armenian officials said many more people were being held in Baku. Dozens of others, both servicemen and civilians, have been captured after the completion of military hostilities. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said in one of his speeches that the newly detained persons are not prisoners of war but “terrorists”. Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan has said, meanwhile, that at least 120 Armenian prisoners of war are being held in Azerbaijan. Sahakyan represents the rights of some of the Karabakh POWs before the European Court of Human Rights. The lawyer said there is enough evidence proving the capture of said persons, which the Armenian side will submit to international agencies and courts.