The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, COP17, is taking place in Yerevan these days. The summit of leaders held as part of the conference was attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Ignazio Cassis, President-in-Office of the OSCE and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation. The issue of POWs held in Baku could have been discussed with these officials. However, it was raised only by the media. In a conversation with Siranush Sahakyan, director of the International and Comparative Law Center, News.am asked whether this was yet another missed opportunity to raise the issue of Armenian POWs. According to Sahakyan, the issue should indeed have been on the agenda: “It may have been discussed, but I did not see anything about it in the official statements. It is interesting that, when answering a question about Armenian POWs, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the parties to implement all the provisions of the peace agreement as quickly as possible. His answer gave the impression that he believed the peace agreement contained a provision on the release of POWs, whereas, as we know, the document contains no provision concerning POWs at all.” In Sahakyan’s view, if the issue of POWs had been discussed in closed-door meetings, Guterres would have been better informed. In particular, he would have known that the document contains no such provision and, in that case, his answer might have been different.
“Such international platforms also provide host countries with an additional opportunity to raise pressing issues on the agenda. Accordingly, if humanitarian issues of extreme urgency have not been raised, it means that yet another opportunity has gone unused,” said Sahakyan.
In March 2025, more than forty Armenian non-governmental organizations appealed to the President of the Swiss Confederation, asking Switzerland to assume the role of a neutral mediator and ensure access to consular assistance for all Armenian POWs held in Baku. In response, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation sent an official letter stating that Switzerland was willing to offer its good offices if both parties involved explicitly requested such assistance. On October 21, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, addressing this issue, stated that appeals had been made to third countries. “This wording makes it clear that the main obstacle is Azerbaijan’s position, which prevents the effective protection of Armenian POWs’ rights and the provision of the necessary international guarantees. Nevertheless, the information provided by the Minister does not yet clarify exactly which countries Armenia has approached. More specific information would also enable non-governmental organizations and human rights defenders to support Armenia’s diplomatic efforts through their international partners, thereby encouraging more active involvement by third countries and helping overcome the obstacles created by Azerbaijan. I am confident that coordinating the efforts of state institutions, civil society, and international partners can create new opportunities. We are all united by the same goal: to ensure the protection of the rights of our compatriots held in Baku, maintain regular humanitarian contact with them and, ultimately, secure their release,” said the human rights defender.
Sahakyan made it clear that there should be no delays in humanitarian matters: “The Armenian POWs held in Baku are in complete isolation. Representatives of the Red Cross last visited them almost a year ago, in December of last year. The information received from their relatives is worrying. I do not believe that keeping the issue silent is the most effective solution in this situation.”
Furthermore, according to Sahakyan, the families of POWs must be treated with respect. As long as their relatives are being unlawfully held in Azerbaijani prisons, the families of POWs have the right to demand that effective steps be taken to secure their release. It is the state’s positive obligation to protect its citizens, and the government is obliged not only to respond to letters from the relatives of POWs but also to take the initiative in arranging these meetings itself.