1 / 1

At April 20 parliamentary briefings, in response to the questions of media, the member of the NA My Step Faction Arman Yeghoyan referred to the inclusion of the item of the Armenian prisoners of war, other captives and the displaced persons in the agenda of the PACE plenary session. Just to remind that Russia voted against the item. The Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s item was also on the agenda of the debate on the problem of the Armenian prisoners of war.

“Depending on the technical format of the item which has been put to the vote, we can understand what political conclusion we can draw. And please, ask the question on the technical format to our delegation from PACE after the return,” Arman Yeghoyan underlined.

According to the deputy, Russia is included in this issue, because it is one of the sides of the tripartite statement on November 9. The agreement on the immediate return of the captives is stipulated by the statement. Yeghoyan has added as for the involvement of PACE, it should be recorded that the issue on the return of the captives is an imperative norm of the international humanitarian law, and it is debated in parallel with international legal issues. And Russia is also a member of PACE.

“Is a resolution expected?” in response to the journalist’s question, Arman Yeghoyan noted: “As I know, a resolution is not expected with this procedure, but this is a one step. It is not excluded that it will be included in the procedures by which the adoption of the resolution is assumed.”

“We try not to politicize the issue of the captives. In case of politicizing, it turns into a subject of a political negotiation. We have always insisted that the issue must be solved by the norms of the international humanitarian law. As we see attempts at politicization from the Azerbaijani side and we should also impose upon them, which is already done, in order to solve the problem as a result of political pressure,” Arman Yeghoyan underlined.