Political demands hinder prisoner exchange between Azerbaijan and Armenia

The exchange of prisoners on the principle of "all for all" is being hindered by the Armenia's demand to involve the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations, which is unacceptable for Azerbaijan, Baku political analysts believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in his video appeal, Gurgen Alaverdyan claimed that he had been sent for sabotage, that he repented of his deeds, and that he "wanted to serve Azerbaijan." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia regarded Azerbaijan's actions as a violation of the war prisoner's rights.

Gurgen Alaverdyan is the third Armenian military man detained in Azerbaijan, notes Novella Djafaroglu, a member of the monitoring group of the country's human rights organizations.

"The Armenian side is also detaining two Azerbaijani civilians: Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilgam Askerov. Moreover, in June, it was reported that another civilian from Azerbaijan had been detained at the border," Novella Djafaroglu said.

According to the human rights defender, the parties to the conflict should release the above-mentioned people for humanitarian reasons. Novella Djafaroglu notes that Azerbaijan has repeatedly offered to exchange detainees on the principle of "all for all", but Armenia does not accept the offer.

"It seems to me that Yerevan brings political considerations to the fore, and not the humanitarian aspect. The Armenian side insists on the fact that Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilgam Askerov were sentenced in Nagorno-Karabakh and thus their release depends on the Karabakh authorities," Novella Djafaroglu explained.

In response to the accusations related to the detention of Gurgen Alaverdyan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has stated that the Armenian authorities are trying to "aggravate the military situation."