Doc. 9063

25 April 2001

Prisoners of war and hostages held in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mrs Hajiyeva and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only

the members who have signed it

1.       As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started in 1988, which later led to the military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, approximately 20 percent of the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan was occupied.

2.       According to the information given on 10 April 2001 as a consequence of this occupation
4 959 persons have been vanished, 1 092 persons out of this number were released (from 1992 to 2001) and according to the same information from the International Red Cross Committee, 176 persons are deceased.

3.       But what is more important at present is that there are 783 captives, including 18 children, 43 women and 56 older men on the territory of Armenia and occupied Azerbaijani lands. Nevertheless, the Armenian side rejects this fact.

4.       It is more than 6 months that the International Red Cross Committee, according to its own information, is not able to visit those captives.

5.       It is already three months since Azerbaijan and Armenia became full members of the Council of Europe, and the presence of this amount of captives who do not have even any basic human rights on the territory of the country that is a member of the Council of Europe is unacceptable.

6.       According to the stories of the witnesses who were released from captivity, all the captives are in slavery, constantly outraged and tortured. They do not get any normal food and necessary medical care.

7.       The Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers to ensure implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights on the territory of its member state, Armenia and the occupied lands of Azerbaijan by using all the means at its disposal.

8.       The Assembly calls on the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to appoint a rapporteur on the issue of finding a solution to this problem as soon as possible;

Signed : 1

Hajiyeva, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD

Aliyev I., Azerbaijan, EDG

Arzilli, San Marino, EPP/CD

Bársony, Hungary, SOC

Cilevics, Latvia, SOC

Gamzatova, Russia, UEL

Glesener, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

Guardans, Spain, LDR

Gülek, Turkey, SOC

Gürkan, Turkey, SOC

Haupert, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC

Kirkhill, United Kingdom, SOC

Landsbergis, Lithuania, EDG

Martínez Casañ, Spain, EPP/CD

Mikaelsson, Sweden, UEL

Rakhansky, Ukraine, UEL

Seyidov, Azerbaijan, EDG

Shaklein, Russia, UEL

Stoisits, Austria, SOC


1        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group