The House of Representatives of the Belgian Parliament on May 27 unanimously adopted a resolution that calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners, including civilians, in accordance with paragraph 8 of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020 and the Geneva Convention, the Committee of the Armenians of Belgium (CAB) reported.
According to the resolution, the Chamber of Representatives is deeply concerned that the full exchange of prisoners agreed as part of the ceasefire statement has not yet been implemented by Azerbaijan, and condemns in the strongest terms the many accounts of mistreatment of Armenians by Azerbaijan.
The resolution also calls on the Belgian federal government to take appropriate measures to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release and safe return to their homeland of all Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
The resolution, citing the European Court of Human Rights, says some 188 Armenian prisoners of war are still held in Azerbaijan. It says despite the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9 that provided for an immediate and complete exchange of prisoners, Azerbaijan did not release all Armenian captives. Moreover, several days after the end of hostilities, other Armenian soldiers and civilians were captured. Armenia, in turn, after the end of hostilities, released all Azerbaijani prisoners of war.
“It emerged that Azerbaijani armed forces arrested six more Armenian servicemen the other day on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was preceded by the incursion of Azerbaijani troops into Armenian territory on several sections of the border,” the resolution says.
The Committee of the Armenians of Belgium notes that these incidents are part of Azerbaijan's strategy of tension in relations with Armenia and calls on the Belgian government to follow the call of the parliament by intervening in the process of immediate release of all Armenian hostages.
