ECHR Demands Azerbaijan Report on 23 Armenian POWs by Nov. 4

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has demanded that Azerbaijan submit a report by November 4 of this year on the conditions of detention and health status of 23 Armenian prisoners held in Baku prisons. This decision was made against the backdrop of the Armenian prisoners being in complete informational isolation for about three months.

As reported by Siranush Sahakyan, the representative of the interests of the Armenian prisoners at the European Court, the Azerbaijani side had tried to evade this obligation back in July. Baku had petitioned the court to release it from the obligation to submit a report. However, after objections were submitted by the Armenian government and the representatives of the prisoners, the ECHR rejected Azerbaijan's petition. As a result, Baku's obligation to provide information about the prisoners was reaffirmed.

The urgency of this demand is due to the fact that the Armenian prisoners in Baku prisons have been in complete isolation for about three months. During this time, no international independent body has been allowed to visit them. There is no reliable information about the conditions of detention, health, and psychological state of the prisoners. With this hope, the November 4 deadline becomes a matter of principle in the protection of the prisoners' rights.