OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO APPLY TO NKR FOR POW EXCHANGE
news.am
Nov 1 2010
Armenia
Under the Astrakhan Declaration, the Armenian President, as well as
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, are to apply to the Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities on order to exchange the POWs, Vahan Hovhannisyan,
a Board member, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnakstutyun
(ARF-D), told journalists Nov. 1.
According to him, its, at least, a mandatory requirement for the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. "The Astrakhan declaration is a really
humanitarian one. It will produce a positive result only after
they apply to the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities," Hovhannisyan
said. As regards the unfavorable wordings contained in the OSCE
Minsk Group's statements, he pointed out that if they co-chairs
call Stepanakert Hankendi, they should also call Lachin Berdzor,
and Kelbajar Karvachar. "The parity means parity principle," he said.
As regards exchange of POWs, Hovhannisyan said that the shepherd
murdered in Azerbaijan was a civilian, not a POW. "As to the ones
who crossed the border on their own will, let them stay there - we
do not have to demand their return. Now imagine, an Armenian POW is
in Azerbaijan, and an Azeri one is in Armenia. The Azeri POW was many
times raped in his military unit and forced into fleeing to Armenia.
Should we hand this boy over to Azerbaijan? They will convict him
for 20 years as a traitor. Would it be humane to hand over a young
man who fled on his own will? Some people fled from Armenia, and it
would be absurd to demand their return. If a fugitive, let us say
goodbye to him," Hovhannisyan said.
From: A. Papazian