ALC issues statement on recently kidnapped Armenian soldiers, US State Department's response

WASHINGTON, DC — The Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights (ALC) is alarmed by the kidnapping and captivity of six additional Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijan which took place in the early morning of May 27, 2021 in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia. In response to this incident, the ALC recognizes that US Statement Department spokesperson Ned Price called for “Azerbaijan to release immediately all prisoners of war and other detainees” and noted in his statement that Azerbaijan has an obligation “under international humanitarian law to treat all detainees humanely.”

“It is unacceptable and a gross violation of international law for Azerbaijan to enter Armenian sovereign territory and then take prisoner six Armenian soldiers,” stated Kenneth Hachikian, ALC chairperson. “By defying the international calls for releasing prisoners of war (POWs) and taking more soldiers prisoner, Azerbaijan is mocking international human rights institutions and values.”

ALC has partnered with the International & Comparative Law Center (ICLaw) based in Yerevan, Armenia, to file cases and advocate before the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of nearly 100 Armenian POWs taken captive by Azerbaijan. Recently, ALC and ICLaw published a list of 19 Armenian POWs who were alive in captivity and were subsequently tortured, abused, and murdered by Azerbaijan. The list of 19 murdered Armenian POWs includes seven elderly, three disabled and 13 civilians.

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Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights

Based in Washington DC, the Armenian Legal Center for Justice & Human Rights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nongovernmental organization with the mission to pursue justice for human rights violations emanating from the Armenian Genocide including the regional security of the Armenia and Artsakh Republics.