The Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan’s reference to the dissemination of the video of Armenian Prisoners of War by the Azerbaijani mass media
On June 5, one of the public televisions of Azerbaijan broadcasted a reportage, which referenced the Armenian Prisoners of War. In the reportage, the journalist holds discussions with 5 Armenian Prisoners of War.
In relation to the reportage and its dissemination, the Human Rights Defender considers it essential to underline the following.
Prisoners of War must be shielded from public curiosity; committing such acts is directly banned by Article 13 of Geneva Convention III;
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The ban pursues 2 main goals: to respect the dignity of the Prisoners of War, and to protect them from harm during and after the period of captivity.
Deprived of their liberty, Prisoners of War cannot freely express their consent to be recorded on video, which will be broadcasted and disseminated.
As a result of the publication and dissemination of the information about the Prisoners of War on social network platforms, they are further targeted by the public, as evidenced by the negative comments of Azerbaijani users about the broadcast.
The Defender calls on the media community of Armenia to refrain from disseminating the videos of the Armenian Prisoners of War taken from Azerbaijani sources, to keep them away from public curiosity.
The more detailed legal position of the Human Rights Defender on this matter has been sent to international partners, as well as to international organizations with a mandate to protect human rights.