In his statement to the UN, at the Security Council Open Debate “Protecting civilians in armed conflict”, Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN, said: “The inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners of war and civilians, including in our region, remains a pressing concern. Reports of persecution, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, and sham trials of POWs, conducted with serious procedural violations, constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. The denial of international humanitarian access, including for the ICRC, the reduction of international presence, and suppression of voices of free media and independent civil society further complicate efforts to address the protection needs of the affected populations. The Government of Armenia in cooperation with the UN, other international and regional organizations, member states, and development partners, has undertaken significant steps to respond to the life-saving and early recovery needs of refugees forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.”
