Lawyer says Armenian prisoners face ongoing torture in Baku

Armenian prisoners held in Baku are subjected to ongoing torture accompanied by inhumane treatment, according to Siranush Sahakyan, who represents their interests before the European Court of Human Rights.

Speaking at the international conference “Return Armenian Prisoners,” Sahakyan addressed violations of the rights of Armenians detained in Azerbaijan and the methods used to collect and assess factual evidence of those violations, Panorama.am reported.

“We have repeatedly raised the issue of torture against prisoners held in Baku,” she said.

According to Sahakyan, questions sometimes arise about how conclusions concerning the torture of prisoners can be reached when access to information is limited. In response, she explained the methodology used to examine and cross-reference evidence.

“We follow a very clear methodology. When we bring the evidence together, we see that torture is occurring beyond reasonable doubt, that it is ongoing and, yes, that it is also accompanied by inhumane treatment. First, we are continuing torture-related cases involving repatriated prisoners. Through the testimonies we have received and medical records, we can retrospectively examine the period they spent in Baku and establish the fact of torture using objective information,” she said.

Sahakyan emphasized that the examination of cases involving repatriated prisoners is continuing. Their testimonies and medical records make it possible to assess retrospectively how they were treated during their detention in Azerbaijan.

The human rights lawyer also reported that telephone calls are the means by which prisoners held in Baku maintain contact with the outside world.