The European Parliament will debate the issue of the release of the Armenian prisoners of war, who remain in Azerbaijan's custody over six months after the end of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), as well as vote on a motion for resolution on May 20.

According to information published by the Parliament, a plenary session will start on May 17 and run through May 20, with lawmakers set to discuss cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law; Impacts of EU rules on the free movements of workers and services; Reports on Turkey, to name a few.

So far, more than 70 Armenian POWs have returned home. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claims that persons still being kept in Baku are not prisoners of war but “terrorists and saboteurs”. Officials and human rights advocates from the Armenian side, however, maintain Azerbaijan is still holding hundreds of people hostage, pledging to submit evidence proving the capture of said persons to international agencies and courts.