Flemish parliamentarian and member of the Belgian Senate Mark Demesmaeker raised the issue of the Armenian captives and prisoners of war still detained by the Azerbaijani authorities during the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly winter plenary meeting, reports the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD).

“I am alarmed by the reports. Reports about the estimates that there are more than 200 Armenian captives and prisoners of war in Azerbaijan. […] Reports about torture, both physical and psychological, and humiliation of the Armenian captives and prisoners of war, often published on the internet,” the lawmaker said.

“We can speak about an ongoing violation of International Humanitarian Law in the treatment of the Armenian hostages, and we insist it is addressed by the international community and the OSCE as a matter of urgency,” said Demesmaeker.