According to BBC, there are approximately ten thousand Armenians currently residing in Azerbaijani prisons. These individuals have either been arrested or abducted since the 2020 Karabakh war. The question arises: why aren’t the Azerbaijani authorities protecting the Armenians? Furthermore, what are they relying on for the return of these individuals? In this article, we will attempt to shed some light on these pressing questions and provide insight into the situation at hand.

Contrary to popular belief, the number of Armenians in Azerbaijani prisons is higher than what is commonly known. Among those incarcerated are not only military personnel, referred to as Azerbaijani prisoners of war in military facilities, but also civilians and members of the unrecognized leadership of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic of the Mountainous Karabakh Republic.

It is important to note that the prisoners of war face the most severe circumstances. According to Armenian human rights defenders, many of them have been killed while in captivity. Furthermore, Armenia disputes the claim that there are only 33 Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan. Armenian sources suggest that by 2023, this number will exceed 100.

Siranush Sahakyan, a lawyer who advocates for the rights of prisoners of war, asserts that official reports from Baku acknowledge the detention of 55 individuals in Azerbaijan. These detainees include both military personnel, categorized as prisoners of war, and civilians, as well as unrecognized members of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s leadership. Sahakyan also highlights that there are approximately 80 unidentified individuals who have been subjected to torture, both before and after their captivity. Shockingly, no efforts have been made to monitor or address their treatment.

In an attempt to gather accurate information, BBC posed the question of how many Armenians are currently in Azerbaijan to various institutions. Surprisingly, the country’s main judiciary and the authorities of external actions failed to provide a response. Requests sent to Armenia’s Ombudsman and her counterpart also went unanswered. Meanwhile, Lidra Yunus, a Dutchman, criticized the initiative, stating that the focus should be on recording the correct numbers.