Protection of Prisoners' Rights Must Be Guaranteed: Ombudsman Gives Interview

Armenian Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan gave an interview to the Sputnik Armenia news agency. The Ombudsman also spoke about the Armenian prisoners illegally held in Baku.

Below is the part of the interview concerning the prisoners:

-"Recently, you met with the Head of the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) Armenia office, Daphne Mare, and discussed the issue of missing persons and prisoners. What information do you have about the Armenian prisoners and other illegally held persons in Azerbaijan?"

-"First and foremost, I discussed the issues related to missing persons with my ICRC colleague, as well as our concerns regarding the matter and the importance of steps taken by international partners in this field. Naturally, we also addressed issues concerning prisoners and Armenians deprived of liberty in Azerbaijan. The discussion of these issues has taken on special importance since the ICRC office will no longer operate in Azerbaijan, which, of course, is a worrying piece of information from the perspective of human rights advocates and organizations. This has a direct impact on the protection of the rights of the mentioned individuals. I constantly talk about how international partners must make every effort to ensure the proper protection of these individuals' rights. Of course, the partners also regularly provide information about what they are trying to do to guarantee this process of rights protection. But since their activities are confidential, I cannot violate ethical standards and speak about the actions they are undertaking."

-"According to human rights defenders and families of the prisoners, the suspension of the ICRC's Baku office's activities has caused concern that these individuals might have suicidal thoughts. Have you tried to contact your Azerbaijani counterpart? When was the last time you communicated with them?"

-"It is very natural that when individuals deprived of their liberty are in a state that has also been a party to a conflict, it is a concern for both them and their relatives. One must first try to work with the relatives as well, including to regulate and overcome these problems. And naturally, it is very important that international presence be guaranteed from the perspective of human rights protection. From the very beginning, I have suggested communicating on this issue with the Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan, highlighting the humanitarian and human rights-related issues, which at the very least, apolitical and independent bodies should have communication about, but at this moment, the mentioned communication does not exist."

-"When was the last time you took such an initiative?"

-"Essentially, I took the initiative immediately after my election. We have never received any response."

-"What can the initialing of a peace agreement with Azerbaijan change in your relationship and regarding the issue of prisoners in general?"

-"I cannot make predictions because I am not a politician, and I do not represent a political body. However, I can confidently say that peace itself is a very important situation from a human rights perspective because any war has a direct impact on people and their rights. But it is also very important that within the context of any peace process, human rights receive priority attention, and in this context, the protection of the rights of missing persons and those deprived of liberty naturally plays a primary role. I hope that all individuals deprived of their liberty will return, because I have repeatedly stated that a state that is a party to a conflict, in essence, can carry out independent and impartial trials with a slightly difficult logic. And I have also repeatedly said that in the context of these trials, both the principle of presumption of innocence and the principle of a fair trial are violated. It is also very important to take into account the overall policy of Armenophobia, which should be overcome as the final result of any peace process."