Rome, February 8th,
2021
His
Excellency Mr. Abdulqawi
Ahmed Yusuf President of the
International Court of Justice
We are writing to
you to express our deep concern with regard to the Armenian prisoners of war
still kept in Azerbaijan. Why, you would ask, are we so deeply concerned with this
issue: the war is over, negotiations are in process, things will be settled
soon? Allow us to explain why the fate of our unknown friends remains so troubling
for us.
The war that was
unleashed by Azerbaijan and Turkey on September 27, 2020 against the Armenians
was monstrous. The degree of its violence inhuman. It was clear that the
‘other’, the Armenian, was dehumanized, and this was a result of ‘diligent
work’ carried out by officials in Azerbaijan for years. And let us not even
mention Turkey – a country with a century of genocide-denial upon its
consciousness. It was this consistent dehumanization that explained the
unthinkable violence that an average Azerbaijani soldier was ready to do –
against another fellow-soldier or civilian. Much evidence of this was and
continues to emerge: tortures, mutilations, decapitations. Much of it was even
openly, without shame and guilt circulated online. And let us stress, this was
done by regular Azerbaijani army. Prisoners of war are the most fragile of
beings. We know this from the stories our parents or grandparent told us. But even
for PoW distinctions can be made by those who rule their fate: to deny humanity
is to deny existence. It is this that troubles us.
Judging by the news,
the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in mid-December captured new Armenian prisoners
from the region of Hadrut. This happened after the trilateral agreement was
signed on November 9, 2020. The Russian peacekeepers did not or could not stop
them. These were almost 70 people (only 5 returned, on January 28, 2021). The
Azerbaijani officials after capturing them defined them as ‘terrorists’ and
claimed that they will be prosecuted. But the truth, we think, is different.
These young people, our unknown friends, with a stroke of a finger have been
stripped off their humanity; first their captors filmed them as they were
bringing them down to their knees. Once they were transported and brought down to
the mercy of the grand ruler, he, with a stroke of a tongue, turned them into
‘terrorists’. First, the gesture, then the word... and the world of horrifying
emptiness has been generated: human beings turned into bargaining chips… We
believe that the grand ruler of petrol is using our unknown friends to extract
further humiliating, economically-politically disastrous concessions from the
Armenian government. How far can a human being bear, do we ask? And how many
more lives of our known and unknown friends should be sacrificed? Yes, we do
fear for the lives of the Armenian prisoners of war, captives, detainees kept
perhaps in the prisons of Baku. Prisons known for their cruelty, towards
anyone, including Azerbaijanis.
Reports emerge
about Armenian women kept as prisoners too. It is even more pressing to enquire
into their condition and we insist, we are very troubled with what might happen
to our unknown female friends. Various Armenian sources speak of around 200
Armenian prisoners kept by Azerbaijan. We even read in the news about one of
the prisoners found killed near Hadrut, and the murder apparently happened
recently.
The
most recent report published by Artsakh Human Rights Defender on January 29,
2021 states: 72 civilians were killed during the war and after cessation of
hostilities by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. Out of these 31 were killed in
captivity, 2 in Azerbaijani jails. (https://artsakhombuds.am/en/news/495)
No human being and
no society should be brought down to its knees. The hand can be extended even
to unknown friends, for every human being is a fellow creature.
We ask
you to demand from the leadership of Azerbaijan to return all Armenian
prisoners of war, captives, detainees, immediately and without conditions, in
compliance with international law. In particular the Geneva Convention of 1949,
establishes the principle that prisoners of war must be released and
repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities (Article
118).
To be engaged in
recreating humanity through gestures, words and deeds there, where it has been
obliterated, is most honorable. And hence we are moved by hope that our words
will not fall into the void.
The executive committee of
Assoarmeni
(Association of the Armenian
community of Rome and Lazio)
The following
Armenian community organizations and associations in Italy are co-signatories:
Union of Armenians of
Italy (Milan)
Cultural association "Hay
Dun" (Milan)
Armenian-Italian
Cultural Association “IncontroVerso” (Rome)
Council for the
Armenian Community of Rome
Italian-Armenian
Friendship Association "Zatik" (Rome)
Young Armenians of
Rome
Armenian Culture Studies
and Documentation Center (Venice)
Union of Armenian Talents
of Italy
Cultural Center “Hrand
Nazariantz” (Bari)
Armenian Community of Calabria
Young Armenians of
Milan
Armenian Community
of Naples
Armenian Community
of Turin