Swedish lawmakers urge action on Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Sweden-Armenia parliamentary friendship group is calling for urgent international action to secure the release of Armenians unlawfully imprisoned in Baku on fabricated charges. The group warns that inaction will encourage further oppression and human rights violations, Armenpress reports.

"We, the undersigned members of the Sweden-Armenia Friendship Group in the Swedish Riksdag, strongly condemn the Azerbaijani government’s systematic and severe violations of human rights. The illegal imprisonment of Armenian detainees, including political figures and civilians, along with their physical and psychological torture and political persecution, constitutes not only a humanitarian crisis but also a blatant violation of international law. The arbitrary detention of individuals on baseless charges, used as a tool for political repression, is a direct assault on fundamental human rights," the statement reads.

The group emphasizes that the continued imprisonment of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians violates the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"These actions, carried out with impunity, constitute state-sanctioned torture and enforced disappearances aimed at silencing political dissent and instilling fear," the statement underscores.

The friendship group notes that independent human rights organizations and legal experts have documented the inhumane and degrading treatment of detainees in Baku.

"Subjected to brutal torture, denied legal representation, and forced into sham trials, they have become victims of grave abuses. This damages Azerbaijan’s international reputation and sets a dangerous precedent for authoritarian regimes worldwide," the statement continues.

The group stresses that these violations are not isolated incidents but deliberate crimes that undermine the foundations of human rights and international law.

"Azerbaijan’s continued use of political prisoners as leverage and its systematic mistreatment of them is a strategy aimed at destabilizing regional peace and justice," the document states.

Swedish lawmakers also caution that the lack of a strong international response could embolden further abuses and repression.

"This is not just a matter of diplomacy; it is a moral and legal obligation. The international community cannot remain idle while such grave injustices persist. These actions are not only an attack on human dignity but also a direct challenge to the principles that uphold global stability, justice, and fundamental rights," the Sweden-Armenia friendship group asserts, emphasizing that the international response will be crucial in ensuring justice and the protection of human rights.

Azerbaijan has officially confirmed holding 23 Armenian detainees, including former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former deputy commander Davit Manukyan, and former foreign minister Davit Babayan. They were unlawfully arrested and charged with fabricated accusations.