Azerbaijan violating international norms concerning Armenian prisoners - MP

ArmInfo. Opposition Armenian MP Taguhi Tovmasyan posted the following message on her Facebook account: 

"I have sent letters to nearly four dozen international organizations and colleagues regarding the issue of Armenian prisoners being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The detention of these individuals represents a clear violation of international humanitarian norms, and urgent action is required to address this serious breach of human rights.

"As a representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, responsible for protecting human rights, I have received numerous alerts regarding the conditions of 23 officially confirmed Armenian prisoners and hostages held in a Baku prison.

"Unfortunately, aside from monthly visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross, there is minimal international access to these detainees, and information about their conditions remains limited.  Even during phone calls with their relatives, the prisoners provide only vague updates, with no specific details about their treatment.

"On June 13 of this year, the international legal team representing Ruben Vardanyan, a prisoner in Azerbaijan, submitted a report to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, detailing incidents of torture and ill-treatment. Additionally, the wife of Vigen Euljekyan, a Lebanese-Armenian captured in 2021, recently revealed alarming details about his situation to the media.

"There is no doubt that Armenian prisoners are being subjected to torture and mistreatment, with some of these cases already documented and reported to the UN Committee Against Torture during its April 2024 session.

"The detention of eight public political figures from Nagorno-Karabakh has been extended without justification. Initially set at four months, the preventative detention order issued in May was extended by five months. While Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General recently announced that these cases have been submitted to the court, there has been no real progress.

"In the meantime, Azerbaijan is preparing for COP29, which they are branding as the "Peace COP."

"Given these serious concerns, I have urged my international partners to take the following actions within their mandate:

"Demand the release of Armenian prisoners and hostages before COP29, if Azerbaijan truly intends for it to be a "Peace COP."

"If judicial proceedings occur, insist that they adhere to international legal standards, and allow for the presence of international observers and media during the trials."