On April 3, the relatives and representatives of Armenian prisoners unlawfully held in Azerbaijan sent a letter to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and to Ignazio Cassis, requesting the activation of the “Protecting Power” mechanism within the framework of international humanitarian law.
“We express our deep concern regarding the complete closure of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in Azerbaijan. This has significantly worsened the already difficult situation of our relatives, leaving us in profound uncertainty regarding their fate and conditions of detention.
In light of the above, and recalling the obligations established under international humanitarian law, we respectfully yet firmly call on Armenia to officially обратиться to the Government of the Swiss Confederation so that the Swiss side may assume the role of a ‘Protecting Power.’ This is a necessary and urgent step to ensure the protection of our relatives’ rights, security, and dignity through internationally recognized mechanisms,” the prisoners’ families stated in their letter.
NEWS.am asked Siranush Sahakyan, the representative of Armenian prisoners’ interests before the European Court of Human Rights and head of the “Center for International and Comparative Law,” whether there had been any responses.
“We received an official response from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, which specifically states that, within the framework of international humanitarian law, the exercise of a Protecting Power mandate by a third state requires the consent of both interested states. The letter also notes that, through bilateral negotiations, Switzerland has repeatedly called on Azerbaijan to guarantee the right to a fair trial and to ensure that detention conditions comply with international standards. In other words, this humanitarian issue is also on the agenda of their bilateral relations,” Siranush Sahakyan noted.
As of now, there has been no response from Armenia’s Foreign Ministry to the prisoners’ families’ letter, even though the letter was sent simultaneously to both the Swiss foreign policy department and Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.