US Congress demands from Baku to release Armenian prisoners

The US Congress has passed an amendment demanding an immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians kept by Azerbaijan, as well as conducting an inquiry into the use of American technologies in Turkish drones that were used during the 2020 escalation of the Karabakh conflict.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 16, Armenia filed a complaint with the UN International Court of Justice with a demand to oblige Azerbaijani authorities to stop torturing and killing Armenian POWs and compensate for human rights violations.

Azerbaijan admits that it is holding 45 Armenian citizens, while the Armenian party possesses data about 280 POWs, Artak Zeinalyan, a human rights defender, asserts.

The amendment posted on the US Congress' website recalls that Azerbaijan had joined the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs, but continues holding about 200 Armenian POWs. The authors of the amendment referred to the December 2020 Human Rights Watch's report that claimed ill-treatment of Armenian POWs.

The amendment emphasizes that Azerbaijan fails to provide reliable information about Armenian POWs and civilians.

The document also calls for investigating the use of white phosphorus, cluster bombs and prohibited ammunition against the Karabakh population, as well as the recruitment of foreign terrorists to participate in military operations.