NKR STATE COMMISSION FOR POWS ISSUES STATEMENT

news.am
Feb 25 2010
Armenia

The NKR State Commission for POWs and Missing Persons has condemned
official Baku’s politicizing the humanitarian problems.

The Commission’s statement particularly reads:

"To reap dubious dividends, the Azerbaijan authorities continue
cashing in on the humanitarian problem, manipulating the Armenians
that are in captivity in Azerbaijan.

"The latest glaring example is the video record on the Azeri websites.

The persons on the video speak of ‘unbearable conditions in the
Armenian army and comfortable life in Azerbaijan.’

"Of course, even people in Azerbaijan understand that the ‘revelations’
are the result of special services’ activities.

Alarming, however, is another aspect of the phenomenon. Manipulating
the Armenian POWs, the Azerbaijani authorities are grossly violating
norms of international law…

"In this context, we would like to note that during the Karabakh war
the Azeri side committed regular violations of Geneva conventions,
refusing to inform the NKR of the POWs, keeping them in unbearable
conditions, subjecting them to torture. As a result, many of them died.

"On the other hand, in the spring of 1992, the NKR stated its
commitment to the protocols to the Geneva conventions. International
human rights and humanitarian organizations, including the
International Committee of the Red Cross, repeatedly confirmed the
NKR authorities’ commitment to the conventions.

"Considering the above, the NKR State Commission for POWs and Missing
Persons condemns official Baku’s politicizing the humanitarian problem.

"We call on the international organizations, first of the International
Committee of the Red Cross, to properly respond to the Azeri side’s
actions and urge it to respect human rights."