EU urges fair treatment of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan

Anitta Hipper, the lead EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has told Armenpress that the EU is closely following the treatment of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan.

‘It is of great importance that Azerbaijan ensures the right to a fair trial and adequate detention conditions, in line with its international commitments’, Hipper said.

She noted in particular that any ‘alleged war crimes and other offences need to be investigated in a transparent manner’, particularly given that the Armenian government and human rights organisations have ‘expressed concerns over the treatment of the defendants’.

Azerbaijan has officially acknowledged it has 23 Armenian prisoners in its custody, including former Nagorno-Karabakh state officials. Earlier in March, Armenia claimed Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan had been subjected to torture, citing evidence observed in photos published by Azerbaijan.

‘We take these concerns very seriously and are closely following the developments. [The] Azerbaijani authorities should promptly and impartially investigate all allegations of ill-treatment and if so, hold those responsible to account’, Hipper emphasised.

Hipper also noted that the trials being held in Baku’s Military Court also related to the ‘much larger question of achieving lasting and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan’.

‘We therefore continue to call on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to build on their achievements and to continue making progress on their path towards full normalisation of relations. The EU will continue to support this process with all the tools at its disposal’, Hipper concluded in her statement to Armenpress.

Previously, on 12 March, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the ‘unconditional release and safe return of all the prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained individuals unlawfully detained in Azerbaijan, including high-ranking officials from Nagorno-Karabakh’. The resolution also strongly condemned the ‘sham trials brought against them in violations of due process, lack of transparency, and the use of fabricated or exaggerated charges’.

European Parliament passes resolution on the ‘sham trials of Armenian hostages’ in Azerbaijan

The resolution called for the ‘unconditional release and safe return’ of all Armenian prisoners being held in Azerbaijan.

OC MediaXandie (Alexandra) Kuenning