Since the 2020 war, hundreds of Armenians have been captured, according to preliminary data, their number exceeds 300. About 210 prisoners were repatriated with many efforts, among them there were people who ended up in Azerbaijan as a result of border incidents or getting lost. Siranush Sahakyan, the representative of Armenian prisoners of war and detained persons at the ECHR, announced this today.
He noted that no international mechanism fighting against torture has ever been able to visit the prisoners there, communication with the outside world is ensured through the ICRC. "We had many meetings with repatriated prisoners, the main topic was the conditions of detention and treatment, we paid special attention to vulnerable groups.
Even prisoners with several characteristics of vulnerability did not receive special protection. They were mistreated with almost equal intensity, being female and belonging to the upper age limit, not being a direct participant in the war. The violence was widespread, both physical and psychological violence was used. We have recorded cases when a person died in a closed institution as a result of periodic beatings and violence, it was a result of violence.
Psychological violence was used throughout the captivity. For example, they artificially showed a scene of murder, putting the person in such circumstances when he really understood the prospect of being killed, they forced him to dig a grave where he was supposed to be buried alive," said Sahakyan.
Source: hayastan.news
