MEPs urge Baku to release Armenian prisoners without delay

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees held by Azerbaijan. The decision was adopted with 464 votes in favor, 115 against, and 39 abstentions, reports 1lurer.am .

The resolution, titled "The illegal detention of Armenian captives by Azerbaijan, including high-ranking political representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, and their sham trials," includes several key points:

• Condemnation of the inhumane treatment of Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijan and a demand for their immediate and unconditional release.
• Deep concern over reports of torture and cruel treatment, urging an independent investigation into these violations.
• Urging Azerbaijani authorities to fulfill international obligations, including provisions of the Geneva Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.
• Calling on the EU and international organizations to support the deployment of humanitarian and medical missions to assess the conditions of the detainees.
• Emphasizing the urgency of diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Armenian political prisoners, ensure their protection, and hold those responsible for cruel treatment accountable.
• Appealing to the Council to impose targeted sanctions on Azerbaijani officials complicit in human rights violations, including judges Zeynal Agayev, Jamal Ramazanov, and Anar Rzayev.
• Strongly condemning the Azerbaijani government's decision to close UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross offices, hindering international humanitarian efforts and monitoring mechanisms.
• Urging the International Criminal Court and its Chief Prosecutor to investigate cases of forced displacement, persecution, and ethnic cleansing against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Welcoming the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanding the unconditional release and safe return of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detainees illegally held in Azerbaijan, including high-ranking officials from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Earlier, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing that it continues to draw international partners' attention to the issue of releasing Armenian prisoners of war, hostages, and other detainees held in Azerbaijan, as well as to the staged trials against some of them, marked by gross procedural violations and alarming signs of torture. Ruben Vardanyan has been on a hunger strike for over 20 days.