Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva visited prisoners of war

Since September 27, 2020, the Armenian armed forces continue intensively firing on densely populated settlements, social, cultural and strategic facilities of Azerbaijan using heavy artillery and special missile systems. Consequently, civilians, including women and children, were killed and injured, and many homes and civilian objects were severely damaged.

Some soldiers of Armenian armed forces that attacked the territory of Azerbaijan in order to satisfy their new territorial claims and expand the geography of military operations, held captive. 

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan, Ms. Sabina Aliyeva under the national preventive mechanism mandate (NPM), had a monitoring regarding this matter. 

The objective of the visit, conducted under the requirements of the OPCAT, Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, was to monitor the standards of treatment, detention conditions and the situation of ensuring the rights of the prisoners of war established by the international humanitarian law and in particular, by the provisions of the Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

During the monitoring, the Ombudsman received the prisoners of war in private as well as explained them their rights by also providing them legislative acts on the application procedures in their own language.  

The prisoners of war stated that they have been provided with an opportunity to call their families, and expressed their satisfaction with the treatment and conditions of detention, medical care and nutrition, underlining that they did not expect such a humane treatment in advance.

At the time of the visit, the prisoners of war, who were wounded, were examined by a doctor member of the NPM. It was found that the prisoners of war were provided with all necessary medical and psychological services without any distinction, and that the norms of IHL, especially the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, were fully observed.

Unfortunately, Armenia seriously violates the requirements of the Geneva Conventions in relation to the protection of non-combatants, i.e civilians and those placed hors de combat, and the safeguards with regard to the humane treatment of them.