April 1, 2021
The parliament of Slovakia on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the immediate return of Armenian prisoners of war being held captive by Azerbaijan.
The resolution, which was introduced by Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marián Kéry, strongly condemns the killings of civilians, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, monuments of cultural and religious heritage, expresses concern over the military involvement of third countries in the conflict and their destabilizing role. The measure also emphasizes that the process of determining the future legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be carried out under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
The bill also “expresses deep concern that prisoners of war and other detainees, including civilians, have not been released in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law, in particular the 1949 Geneva Convention.”
The measure calls of the Slovak government, the European Union and international organizations “to ensure that all allegations of war crimes, including the use of cluster munitions, are properly investigated, that all prisoners of war and civilians are released immediately, and that international humanitarian organizations enter Nagorno-Karabakh without restrictions.”
In October, Slovakia’s parliament adopted a resolution condemning the attacks and aggression against Karabakh.