STATE COMISSION ON PRISONERS OF WAR, HOSTAGES AND MISSING PEOPLE REPORTS

Today, Azerbaijan
May 17 2006

The State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons
regards widespread recently in mass media by the coordinator of the
“International working group on release of POWs, hostages and missing
citizens” in Azerbaijan messages on arrest of the persons released
from captivity and, ostensibly, prosecution of relatives of the persons
sent to the third countries, as the action directed on public opinion.

The questions connected with citizens, taken in captivity as a result
of aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and sent to the third
countries (concerning their biographical particulars, addresses
of parents, the countries in which they are sent and so forth),
are known to the State Commission, other corresponding bodies, and
also parents. We inform, that the said persons, quite possibly, were
sent to the third countries with their consent according to norms of
the international humanitarian law. Parents of the persons taken in
captivity were pursued in connection with the fact of their sending
to the third countries neither by the State Commission nor other
corresponding bodies, and now such steps are not undertaken. We remind,
that according to the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, close
relatives of any person who have made this or that act, cannot be
pursued and made answerable. The Azerbaijan Republic with respect
concerns to the supreme principles of law and human rights and
protect them.

We inform, that from 1381 persons taken in captivity and hostages as
a result of aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and released
subsequently, only 20 persons have been involved in the criminal
liability. The specified persons have been punished not in connection
with the fact of capture and hostages, and for the concrete criminal
actions accomplished in captivity against the Azerbaijan Republic
and its citizens.

The majority of the mentioned persons have been arrested not after
release, but later some years when their criminal actions have come
to light. If the given persons and their relatives were pursued,
they would be arrested right after release from captivity. In spite
of the fact that it was informed on the appeal to the Commission on
pardon in connection with release of arrested 7 persons, nevertheless,
the Commission has informed, that the given question was not discussed.

The State Commission cooperates with some international organizations,
including the “International Working Group on Release of POWs,
Hostages and Missing Citizens in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict”, IWG, created in 1997, while carrying out of search work
and performance of other problems it faces, realization of activity
in Armenia and on our occupied lands.

IWG is managed by Bernhard Clausen (Germany), Svetlana Gannushkina
(Russia) and Paata Zakareishvili (Georgia) with financial support
of the German Fund of Henry Bell. The State Commission positively
estimates the objective approach of IWG co-chairman from Germany
Bernhard Clausen to search work and the questions connected with
destiny of the missing, and the work done by them for achievement of
result. At the same time, IWG coordinator for Azerbaijan satisfies
only with the statements calculated on public opinion, trying to
build its work in the given context. Its divergence is shown since
2001 when it has started to work as the coordinator.

It causes concern that during his group visit to Armenia and on
the occupied Azerbaijan territories he does not lift the questions
connected with citizens of Azerbaijan fact of capture and hostages
of which is known, and we consider, that during the said visits his
work was limited only to support of co-chairmen. It is obvious from
IWG reports covering the given period. During cooperation the State
Commission prefers observance of ethic standards, reminding at the
same time that it is proxy to make objective estimation to any act
pursuing the purpose to confuse public opinion, AzerTAg reports.

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