Guards at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border during the prisoner exchange on Dec. 13 (Azatutyun.am screen grab)

A senior Armenian law enforcement official said that 55 Armenians are currently being held captive in Azerbaijan, as official Baku claims that 23 remain in its custody.

Argishti Kyaramyan, the Head of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, told Armenia’s Public Television on Thursday that Azerbaijan has confirmed holding 23 Armenians captives, but they have evidence on the forced disappearance of another 32 persons after the 2020 war.

“At this moment 23 compatriots confirmed by Azerbaijan are being held there, 17 of whom are persons captured as a result of the 2023 aggression. We have evidence regarding the forced disappearance of 32 persons after the 44-day war, which we have presented to supranational organizations,” Kyaramyan said.

The European Court of Human Rights mandates Baku to take interim measures regarding 22 of the prisoners, however Azerbaijan has denied the fact that these persons were taken captive.

Last month the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan issued a joint statement announcing the exchange of prisoners. Soon after Yerevan returned two Azerbaijani soldiers who we imprisoned for killing a worker at a mine in Syunik. In return, Azerbaijan released 32 Armenian POWs during the exchange, which took place on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.