“Azerbaijan has not complied with the requirement that prisoners of war be held in special camps. They have been deprived of their liberty and the opportunity to keep in touch with the world, which increases the possibility of hiding traces of torture,” human rights activist Siranush Sahakyan told reporters on September 8 during the presentation of the report regarding the human rights violations committed by Azerbaijan against Armenian POWs, Azerbaijan’s inhumane treatment and torture, the conditions they were held in, and the legal protection of captured civilians.
According to her, the Azerbaijani Military Police, which operates under the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, the pre-trial detention center under the NSS, and the isolation centers of the Ministry of Justice are the bodies that mainly beat Armenian prisoners of war, depriving them of water, food, and hygiene items. “The prisoners were forced to stand up constantly. Cold water was poured on them. Special brigades operated for punitive and targeted beatings, and the POWs were regularly beaten until they fainted.
The brutal beating continued as soon as the captive regained consciousness. Sometimes they were also beaten demonstratively. The management and staff of the three institutes listed were involved in all this. There are legal mechanisms through which those directly at fault can be prosecuted. If this continues, sanctions can be enforced upon Azerbaijan,” said Siranush Sahakyan.
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According to her, one of the acts adopted in 2020, which is enforced in the EU, defines the actions in relation to which the EU can impose sanctions․ “According to the document, the addressees of the sanctions are individuals, organizations, and state bodies. And according to the Magnitsky Act adopted by the United States, sanctions are applied in case of human rights violations. In this way, a person’s funds can be frozen, the opportunities for movement can be limited. Several hundred different officials have been restricted under this act. We will continuously present the facts we have mentioned to the relevant structures.”
Siranush Sahakyan also said that there were cases of forced disappearances during the war. “Ten months later, the fate of ten people who came under Azerbaijani control is uncertain. Azerbaijan is responsible for the forcible disappearance of these people. They have all disappeared while alive.”
As for bringing the President of Azerbaijan to justice, Siranush Sahakyan stressed that Ilham Aliyev is involved in war crimes as evidenced by Azerbaijan’s concealment of the number of Armenian prisoners of war. “He himself announced that there were no more prisoners of war and labeled them as criminals, hindering their return. By his direct decision, the number of prisoners of war was hidden. International documents state that unjustified delays in the return of prisoners of war are war crimes. On this basis, political sanctions should be imposed on Aliyev and his family members. In this regard, serious work is needed with the international community.”
Siranush Sahakyan stated that Azerbaijan still hides the real number of Armenian prisoners of war. “Azerbaijan still does not respond to what happened to the Armenian soldiers in different videos, are they still under Azeri control or not? All our international partners have convictions and evidence that the figures presented by Azerbaijan do not represent the real picture. There is no dispute here. It remains to be understood what mechanisms should be used to respond to this phenomenon.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
