Group of Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan repatriated

05.10.2022

Group of Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan repatriated

Azerbaijan has returned 17 Armenian prisoners of war, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on 4 October. According to the source the repatriation was implemented through US mediation. 


Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reacted on this report writing on his Twitter account: “I highly appreciate the efforts of the United States for assisting to return our 17 POW’s. I hope with joint efforts together with our international partners we will further register progress in resolving both humanitarian issues and establishing peace in the region.”

Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan in a post on his Facebook page said that the return of the POWs had been arranged during a trilateral meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Hikmet Hajiyev held on September 27 at the initiative of US President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. 

“I hope that the trilateral work will continue to produce positive results for the solution of humanitarian issues, regional stability and peace, and all agreements will be fulfilled,” Grigoryan wrote further. 

It is worth to recall that Siranush Ahakyan, the attorney of the Armenian POWs at the European Court of Human Rights days ago said that Azerbaijan officially admits holding of 33 prisoners of war since the 44-Day War in 2020.

According to the attorney, there are about 80 more persons whose capture is not recognized by the Azerbaijani authorities.