Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 21
By Matanat Nasibova – Trend:
Armenian Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s categorical statement regarding the exchange of prisoners of war with Azerbaijan shows that the government of this country is not interested in resolving long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and does not intend to abandon the aggression and occupation policy towards Azerbaijan, independent Turkish political analyst Shirin Ali told Trend on Nov. 21.
Pashinyan has recently stated that Armenia refuses from Azerbaijan’s proposal on exchange of prisoners of war.
“Pashinyan’s statement grossly violates the norms of international law, as well as the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War,” she said.
"Meanwhile, as a result of the Armenian aggression, more than a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced people whose rights and freedoms were violated,” Ali said.
“Moreover, two Azerbaijani civilians Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov were illegally taken hostage by the Armenian side in the occupied Azerbaijani territory - in Kalbajar district when they tried to visit the graves of their relatives,” she added. “They are still in captivity. Despite these people did not have weapons, the Armenian side named them saboteurs. Guliyev and Asgarov are brutally mistreated and subjected to various tortures all these years."
“Thus, the Armenian side continues to grossly violate the provisions of the Geneva Convention,” Ali said.
“According to Article 13 of the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war should be treated humanely and any illegal act or action by a country taking people hostage, leading to the death of a prisoner of war, or putting his health at risk is prohibited and considered as serious violations of this Convention,” she said. “In particular, no prisoner of war can be subjected to acts of violence, intimidation, etc."
Ali expressed regret that the actions and measures taken by Azerbaijan to free Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev taken hostage by Armenia, remain futile.
"Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side’s numerous appeals in this regard to international organizations have not yielded any results,” she said. “Asgarov and Guliyev are still in captivity. They were taken hostage as a result of an illegal “trial” on the basis of falsified charges brought by the separatist regime in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.”
“This fact is a gross violation of all norms and principles of international law by Armenia, and the fact that this issue has not got off the ground is indifference of the leading countries and the corresponding international organizations to this issue," Ali said.
“As opposed to the two Azerbaijani civilians illegally detained by Armenia, Zaver Karapetyan is being detained in Azerbaijan because of an attempt to commit sabotage on the front line,” she said.
"The Armenian saboteur acted as part of the sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armenian armed forces, which in June 2017 tried to cross the defense line of the Azerbaijani armed forces to attack Azerbaijani positions,” Ali said. “According to the Azerbaijani legislation, Karapetyan was arrested. As opposed to Armenia, Azerbaijan fulfills its obligations in accordance with the Geneva Convention and adheres to all the rules and laws of international law."
She stressed that Pashinyan’s statement once again testified that all the crimes committed by Armenia during the conflict are part of the aggressive policy that it has been systematically pursuing for many years.
"The international community and the OSCE MG must direct their efforts to prevent illegal actions of Armenia and force the country's leadership to comply with the laws of international and humanitarian law," Ali added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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