On March 29, a regular meeting of the Council of Ministers of the CE was held. An exchange of ideas occurred with Alan Mitchell, President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).
Ambassador Arman Khachatryan, permanent representative of Armenia in the Council of Europe, referred to the problem of Armenian prisoners of war and other persons illegally in Baku prisons. It is considered reprehensible that Azerbaijan refuses to release all Armenian prisoners of war without preconditions in gross violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and its internationally assumed obligations. Currently, the Azerbaijani side admits that only 33 Armenian prisoners of war are kept in Azerbaijan.
The permanent representative of Armenia noted that the Azerbaijani authorities organized staged trials against Armenian prisoners of war based on fabricated accusations.
Deprived of the right to protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to a fair trial, the Armenian prisoners of war were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison by the courts under the control of the Baku government. There are also documented cases of enforced disappearances.
To prevent further deterioration of the condition of Armenian prisoners of war, it is necessary that competent international bodies, including the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, continue to monitor this issue closely.
