Until January 28, the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, due to the pandemic, will be held in a hybrid version. Some of the delegates are participating remotely, others have arrived in Strasbourg. The Armenian delegation is also in the east of France.
Naira Zohrabyan and Mikael Melkumyan, members of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, did not leave for Strasbourg. Before the PACE session, Edmon Marukyan held a protest action, demanding international pressure on Azerbaijan for the immediate return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians.
The Armenian delegation, in the framework of urgent issues, also proposed to include the unjustified delay of the return of the Armenian captives to the homeland by the Azerbaijani authorities as a violation of European international human rights norms. That proposal, however, was rejected by the majority of the Assembly delegates.
The main issue of the Armenian agenda, however, was voiced from the most important platform of Europe with different emphases.
Turkey and Azerbaijan have carried out aggression against Armenia and Artsakh, which has turned into a 44-day war, the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE stated. Ruben Rubinyan informed the PACE delegates that Azerbaijan does not want to return the Armenian captives, and that issue is the most important now.
Ruben Rubinyan, Head of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE - "The people of Nagorno Karabakh were attacked not only by Azeris, but also by foreign militants and mercenaries, who were transferred to the conflict zone by Turkey. This fact was reported by the leaders of France, Russia, the United States, international media, Human Rights Watch. Numerous videos and photos have appeared on Azerbaijani social media, calling for cruelty and violence against Armenians. Today, when the hostilities have stopped, the most urgent issue is the return of Armenian prisoners of war".
In his speech, Rubinyan also reminded the delegates that Azerbaijan continues its genocidal policy and endangers the lives of ethnic Armenians living in Artsakh.
