Human Rights Activist: ECHR demanding Azerbaijan to submit report on  Armenian PoWs

ArmInfo.The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has demanded Azerbaijan to submit a report on the status of 23 Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku by November 4. Siranush Sahakyan, director of the Center for  International Comparative Law and human rights activist, made this  statement during a press conference in Yerevan.

She also noted that the ECHR also demanded  Azerbaijan to refrain  from actions that could threaten their well-being and physical  integrity, especially those that could endanger their lives. "We  expect that on November 4, Azerbaijan will provide some details on  the prisoners' condition, and information on their condition will  also be shared with their families," Sahakyan noted. The human rights  activist emphasized that they have doubts regarding the veracity of  the information Azerbaijan is required to provide, as it is often  distorted and untrue.

She also noted that Azerbaijan is attempting to reverse these  measures and to use any means necessary to oppose decisions aimed at  protecting prisoners. In this regard, the human rights activist  recalled that last month, Azerbaijan petitioned the ECHR to be  excused  from submitting information about the Armenian prisoners of  war. "Moreover, this was done simultaneously with the closure of the  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office. The Armenian  side objected to this request, leading the court to reject  Azerbaijan's request," Sahakyan emphasized.

The human rights activist also touched on the Armenian authorities'  intention to withdraw their claims from international courts. In this  regard, she noted that throughout the history of the ECHR, there has  never been a case where a state has applied for the protection of  citizens' rights and then, at some point, simply abandoned the  effort. The human rights activist noted that at this stage, it is  unclear how the court will proceed  in this particular situation, as  this is an unprecedented case. "However, based on past cases where an  individual, rather than a state, appeals to the court, then practice  shows that the ECHR cannot automatically terminate a trial,  especially if it holds legal significance," Sahakyan concluded.