The Human Rights Defender initiated an
examination procedure immediately after the publication of information with
regard to the appearance of the Armenian Armed Forces officer Mr. Gurgen
Alaverdyan on Azerbaijan’s territory.
The videos with Mr. Gurgen Alaverdyan published
by the Azerbaijani officers that can also be found on YouTube social media and a
number of Azerbaijani websites, were examined.
The examination of videos shows gross
violations of the rights of the Armenian Armed Forces officer that are enshrined
in international law.
In particular, the video demonstrates that
Mr. Gurgen Alaverdyan is handcuffed and surrounded by Azerbaijani military
servicemen. The video shows the Armenian Armed Forces officer has winter-hat on
his eyes that completely closed them.
In the video, Mr. G. Alaverdyan is
surrounded by the Azerbaijani officers, who make statements that insult his dignity,
demonstrate mocking behavior and demonstratively humiliate his honor and
dignity. The videos entirely consist of explicit hate speech concerning the
Armenian ethnicity of Mr. Gurgen Alaverdyan.
The Geneva Conventions guarantee respect
for the honor and dignity of the Prisoners of War, which precludes any humiliating
treatment. Hence, the behavior of the Azerbaijani officers is in gross violation
of Mr. Gurgen Alaverdyan’s rights.
It is necessary to underline that the
gross violations of rights by the Azerbaijani officers have occurred after Mr.
Gurgen Alaverdyan got lost and appeared on Azerbaijan’s territory: that is,
these violations have occurred after Mr. Alaverdyan was under the governmental authority
and thus under the responsibility of that state.
The wide dissemination of the video by the
Azerbaijani TV channels, in particular on Rahmanzade TV, Yeni Avaz TV, WEST
NEWS TV, Beynelxalq İnfo, Hərbi TV is a strictly condemnable phenomenon.
Today, the Human Rights Defender Mr. Arman
Tatoyan applied to the international human rights organizations, recording the
gross violations of International Humanitarian Law and the rights of Mr. Gurgen
Alaverdyan.
The Defender sent an inquiry to the
Armenian Ministry of Defense: the latter officially clarified that on August 22
at around 7:30 p.m., for the purpose of checking a military post, officer Mr. Gurgen
Alaverdyan got confused and lost due to unfavorable climate condition.
The Human Rights Defender and his
representative are in constant contact with Mr. Gurgen Alaverdyan’s family, as
well as with relevant international organizations.
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