Armenian residents file to ECtHR 85 lawsuits on torture and killings in captivity

65 lawsuits have been lodged to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) regarding inhuman treatment in captivity and about 20 lawsuits – about the killings of prisoners of war (POWs), the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent has been informed by advocate Siranush Saakyan, who represents the interests of Armenian prisoners of war at the ECtHR. According to the advocate, lawsuits regarding inhuman treatment were filed on behalf of almost all POWs who returned to Armenia.

“There is evidence of the killing of Armenian prisoners of war, including the wounded, who did not receive the protection provided for by international conventions, and who were deliberately killed. In some cases, the fact of the killing was registered by forensic experts. In particular, there is video evidence of how an Armenian soldier is surrendering. Later, a DNA-analysis of the remains proved that he was killed. There are cases in which we do not have video evidence of capture, but the forensic examination confirmed that the deceased was shot dead or beheaded,” Siranush Saakyan said.

The advocate has also added that among those killed in captivity there were residents of both Armenia and the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 30, 2021 at 06:32 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.