Armenian and German human rights advocates held a silent protest in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Berlin on Tuesday to demand the release of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees, reported Armenia’s Public Radio.
Organized by the Vernatun Deutschland German Armenian grassroots movement, the protest urged official Baku to release Armenian POWs and other captives being held in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the trilateral statement signed on November 9 between Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.
The group said it would stage weekly protests until all Armenian prisoners of war have been released. “The consequences of war, including those of war crimes such as the use of mercenaries, the kidnapping of civilians, the beheading and murder of prisoners of war, the use of outlawed ammunition, the murder of civilians, the use of phosphorus bombs to burn forests, and the bombing of civil structures are still evident today,” said the organizers.
“Compliance with the ceasefire agreement on the release of prisoners of war is an essential step in securing peace in the region. Otherwise it is to be feared that the prisoners’ lives will be misused as a bargaining chip and put at risk in order to occupy further territories, sometimes even within the recognized territories of Armenia, which could lead to further instability,” the organizers explained.
