The detention conditions of Syrian mercenaries held in Armenia are in line with international standards, a group of public monitors said in a statement on Tuesday.
During the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the Armenian side detained two Syrian citizens, who were placed under arrest as a measure of restraint. They are charged under a number of articles of Armenia’s Criminal Code, including mercenarism, international terrorism and gross violations of the norms of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts.
The group of public observers conducting public monitoring in penitentiaries of the Armenian Ministry of Justice checked the conditions of their detention during a visit to the penitentiary institutions.
The group of public observers says that the persons are kept in two different cells of the facility for security considerations. Their cells meet the standards provided for one person. In particular, there are bathrooms, running water, sufficient temperature and a possibility for air conditioning in the cells.
The administration of the penitentiary institution told the group that the Syrian mercenaries eat three meals a day and have undergone health checkups twice, as a result of which no health problems have been recorded.
Thus, the group reports that the detention conditions of the mercenaries are in line with international standards.