The RA Ministry of Defense reconfirms that on April 10th, 2016, with the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan exchanged bodies of servicemen who perished as a result of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan on April 2-5th. During the exchange the bodies of 18 perished servicemen of the NKR Defense Army were returned to the Armenian side.
Taking into account the fact that the soldiers whose bodies were returned to the Armenian side had been tortured and defiled, which was recorded by the NKR authorities and the representatives of ICRC, the RA Ministry of Defense announces that this is a grave violation of the standards of international humanitarian law as pointed out by the NKR State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.
The NKR and RA authorities, in cooperation with international organizations, are collecting crime evidence based on which criminal cases are being filed.
In addition, the RA Ministry of Defense officially announces that it is committed to consistently raising the facts of Azerbaijan’s violations of international humanitarian (armed conflict) law and various conventions in all international courts with the ultimate aim of holding Azerbaijan legally responsible for these actions.
