ALL AZERBAIJANI POWS WERE RETURNED WITHIN 2 YEARS AFTER CEASE-FIRE OF
1994: NKR HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Stepanakert, August 7. ArmInfo. "Being engaged in the problem of POWs
and the missing for already thirteen years, I can say that all the
Azerbaijani POWs were returned within 2 years after the cease-fire
established in the May of 1994," Albert Voskanyan, Director of
Karabakh Center of Civil Initiatives (CCI) human rights organization,
told ArmInfo commenting on the last statements by Arzou Abdullayeva,
Chairwoman of Azerbaijhani National Committee of Helsinki Civil
Assembly.
A. Voskanyan said he personally exchanged or transferred to
Azerbaijani party several hundreds of POWs, dozens of bodies and
remains. As regards A. Abdullayeva’s statement on mass burial of the
Sumgait regiment fighters under Agder, A. Voskanyan said the place
of the burial is currently searched. He thinks it inexpedient making
suppositions and naming specific persons only on the basis of rumors
not to cause a new trauma to the relatives of the missing. Regarding
Abdullayeva’s statements on the penitentiary system in Karabakh, A.
Vskanyan said CCI, the only one among NGOs, has been engaged in
monitoring or NKR penitentiaries for several years. It makes reports
to international, regional and local structures. He said the Department
of Execution of Criminal Punishments attached to the NKR Police, which
is more known as Shushi Prison, was built yet in 1869. About 350
people can be kept at the establishment. There are 5 penitentiary
regimes at the prison. Over the years of the monitoring, the number
of prisoners fluctuated between 60-80 people. "At the moment when
Ms. Abdullayeva visited the penitentiary, the number of prisoners
totaled 78 people. Hence, the figure she mentioned, that is 300 people
kept on the ground floor alone, does not correspond to reality.
Moreover, the monitoring by CCI and the visits by foreign, including
Azerbaijani, human rights protectors, registered normal sanitary and
hygienic conditions at the prison, good catering and medical service
etc.. Although the cells are far from meeting European standards,
but their are being optimized and improved also with help of CCI,
(recommendations and technical assistance in terms of computers,
books, newspapers, medicines etc.. )A. Voskanyan said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
