PACE Migration Committee Chair concerned over fate of captives, missing persons from recent NK war

''I am deeply concerned about the fate of the alleged captives and missing persons from the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,'' Pierre Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC), Chair of the PACE Migration Committee said after an exchange of views on this issue in the Committee.

''This is all the more worrying in the context of the 16 March 2021 press release of the European Court of Human Rights, indicating that the Azerbaijani Government had failed “to respect the time-limits set by the Court for the submission of information on the individuals concerned and the rather general and limited information provided by them.'' The Court identified 188 Armenians allegedly captured by Azerbaijan.

Notwithstanding that this number may have gone down since that date, there remain a very large number of persons of concern.

''It is incumbent upon Azerbaijan to fully co-operate with the Court, providing information on the whereabouts and fate of the remaining persons of concern on this list, and ensure that they are returned without delay in accordance with article 8 of the trilateral statement of 9-10 November 2020''.

''I am also concerned about the overall issue of missing persons believed to have fallen in the recent conflict, as well as – in general – the fate of missing persons from the open conflict which took place between 1991 and 1994. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan must co-operate without precondition, in good faith and with the aid of the ICRC, to find a solution to the issue of missing persons, and to organise the swift release of all current captives,'' Mr Fridez said.

The Committee is ready to assist both countries in solving the humanitarian consequences of this tragic long running conflict.