The Washington DC based Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights issued the following statement today.

The International & Comparative Law Center (ICLaw) in partnership with the Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights (ALC) has filed seven new cases with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) requesting the application of “interim measures” for prisoners of war (POWs) taken captive by Azerbaijan in violation of international humanitarian law and the November trilateral ceasefire statement.

“Azerbaijan’s continued failure to acknowledge the existence of all Armenian POWs is an outrage and yet another example of its depraved indifference to human life,” stated ALC chairperson Kenneth Hachikian. “It is time for the international community to stop emboldening dictator Aliyev and demand that Azerbaijan comply with its obligations under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.”  

Having gathered strong direct evidence of identity and continued captivity, ICLaw’s application for interim measures represents the first step in forcing Azerbaijan to acknowledge the captive existence of these Armenians and ensuring that they have access to international humanitarian organizations while in captivity, including visits by the International Committee for the Red Cross.