“We have an important issue today- the issue of POWs- which this government cannot resolve. When the Russian peacekeepers are successful in returning our boys, the spokespeople for the government credit the government. That is a political axiom, and the symbol of defeat is not able to eliminate the consequences of the war, such as POWs, soldiers missing in action, and displaced people,” parliamentary deputy Naira Zohrabyan said during a press conference at the Hayeli press club, adding that she is trying not to listen to Nikol Pashinyan so that she doesn’t get upset, but she read that a question was raised during the session of parliament regarding what he would have changed if he could have turned back time and, essentially, he would not have changed anything. “In other words, he justifies handing over 75 percent of Artsakh, over 7,000 wounded soldiers and casualties, and the officially confirmed 3,574 missing in action. Perhaps I must upset the relatives of those missing in action, but a portion of them are in captivities. The rest of our sons, essentially, are no longer alive.”
Naira Zohrabyan announced that although there may be official denial, she has received clear warnings that hospitals have demanded medication from the relatives of wounded soldiers. The state is either not providing the medication or the quality is poor.
Naira Zohrabyan
Regarding her meetings during the latest PACE session, Naira Zohrabyan said that she has never had illusions tied to that agency since it has recently turned into an “anti-Russian club,” but this time, she noticed an honest interest in resolving the issue of POWs. “Now, the European Parliament Council of Ministers is led by Germany, and I have presented Chancellor Angela Merkel with a letter written by the mothers of POWs. I met with the president of the council, and 30 minutes after that, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs said in his speech that they are preparing to resolve the issue. Even more, they are even prepared to introduce sanctions, such as depriving the Azerbaijani delegation of the right to vote. I consider this to be possible. Besides that, the European court has appealed to the European Parliament Council of Ministers and said that Azerbaijan is concealing information about the prisoners. The Council of Ministers under Germany’s leadership can cancel Azerbaijan’s membership in the European Council as the second heaviest sanction, which I do not consider to be possible at this time. In any case, I have careful optimism in connection with Europe’s role in the POWs issue.”
In response to observations about how Azerbaijan will return the prisoners of war prior to the elections in support of Nikol Pashinyan’s government, the deputy said, “In private conversations, our European colleagues told me that the Azerbaijanis have not ruled out the possibility of Aliyev pardoning and releasing the Armenian POWs. They were even mentioning time frames that surprisingly coincided with the elections in Armenia. Aliyev and Erdogan are not hiding the fact that they are interested in Armenia’s domestic political developments.”
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Regarding the incidents where the parents of POWs or MIA soldiers said that they receive phone calls from Iranian numbers providing the exact name, last name, and passport information of their children and saying that their children are at the military base. Naira Zohrabyan said that they were connected with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Iran, Artashes Tumanyan. Some parents even went to Tabriz where they “found nothing.” Naira Zohrabyan said that she even got into contact with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and explained the situation in detail, and when she receives an official response, she will contact the parents and everyone will receive the answers to their questions.
“I will be placing a draft of legislation in circulation according to which they will be given one year off from military service after they return. After that, their opinions should be considered and their mental states should be evaluated. Then can a decision be reached regarding whether or not they should serve,” Naira Zohrabyan concluded.
Nelly Grigoryan
