Azerbaijan denounces Armenia’s false allegations on detainee treatment, war crimes trials

Aykhan Hajizada, a spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, has firmly rejected a statement by Foreign Ministry of Armenia on February 28, regarding the alleged mistreatment of Armenian detainees and those accused of war crimes in Azerbaijan.

“We resolutely condemn and reject the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia dated 28 February 2025 on allegations about the mistreatment of Armenian detainees and people accused of war crimes in Azerbaijan, including baseless claims about their ongoing trial process,” Hajizada said in a statement, Caliber.Az reports.

He went on to emphasize that the detainees in question, including former separatist leaders, have been charged or convicted of serious offenses such as war crimes, ethnic cleansing, military aggression, and torture.

“Azerbaijan has rights and obligations to investigate and prosecute these offenses under the Geneva Conventions and generally under international and domestic law,” Hajizada noted, stressing that the detentions have a proper legal basis and do not violate the rights of the accused.

He clarified that, under the Third Geneva Convention, prisoners of war who are under investigation for serious offenses may be detained until the completion of criminal proceedings. “All the rights and duties of the accused people are duly ensured and explained, and the court proceedings and testimonies were recorded,” he added.

Hajizada also addressed the allegations of mistreatment, stating that these claims had been independently investigated and proven false. “Allegations of ill-treatment against prisoners in Azerbaijan have been investigated independently and are false,” he asserted, pointing out that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had regularly visited the detainees, with the most recent visit in February. Additionally, prisoners have had access to communication with their families via telephone and video calls.

The spokesperson emphasized Azerbaijan's humanitarian efforts, recalling that more than 200 Armenian prisoners of war and detainees had been repatriated after the 2020 war, in line with international humanitarian law. “However, following Azerbaijan’s return of prisoners-of-war, some of them passed through imprisonment and interrogation carried out by Armenian authorities,” Hajizada remarked.

He also pointed out Azerbaijan’s significant gesture following its 2023 anti-terror measures, when over 10,000 Armenian armed forces laid down their arms and left Azerbaijani territories. “Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia neither has launched any investigations into the cases of degrading treatment of Azerbaijani prisoners-of-war and detained civilians nor cooperated in providing information about the whereabouts of 4,000 missing Azerbaijanis,” Hajizada added.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also underscored the torture and ill-treatment faced by Azerbaijani prisoners of war, saying that they were held in degrading conditions, violating the Geneva Conventions. “According to the witnesses and numerous facts, all the Azerbaijani POWs were tortured, ill-treated, and held in degrading conditions, in a grave violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949.”

He concluded by addressing Armenia’s stance on the trials of war crimes perpetrators, saying, “Obviously, such a statement from the Armenian side demonstrates how nervous the political establishment of Armenia is about the ongoing trial against the people accused of war crimes once they openly supported by all means to sustain the act and policy of aggression against Azerbaijan.”

Hajizada stated that Armenia’s refusal to acknowledge the trial's legitimacy or support the judicial process revealed its lack of interest in addressing the historical harm caused. “Instead of applauding the trial against the people accused of war crimes, calling the court a ‘staged’ one attests that Armenia is not interested in healing the wounds it has caused for decades and facing the truth that this trial might bring to the surface.”

In his final remarks, Hajizada called on Armenia to refrain from making baseless statements that could undermine peace efforts in the region. “At this critical juncture, the Azerbaijani side expects the Armenian side to refrain from baseless statements that undermine peace efforts in the region, which also includes bringing perpetrators of war crimes to justice,” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva