Public Radio of Armenia The return of Armenian prisoners of war is a human rights issue, not a political one, Armenian MP Vladimir Vardanyan said in a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). He reminded that more than 200 Armenian prisoners of war are still under Azerbaijani custody. “We have reasonable grounds to believe that their lives are endangered and they may be subject to torture and inhuman treatment,” the lawmaker said. He stressed that the return of POWs is not a political issue, it’s an issue of human rights, an issue of democracy, and their rights should be respected.