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The shooting of Armenian prisoners is a terrible war crime. Human Rights Watch
The execution of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani forces during the fighting between the countries in September 2022 is a war crime that must be held accountable, Human Rights Watch said today, analyzing a video released on social media in early October showing the extrajudicial execution of at least seven Armenian prisoners of war, apparently, by the Azerbaijani forces.
The statement said that the Azerbaijani authorities must ensure that the investigation started by their prosecutor's office is effective and bring the guilty soldiers and commanders to justice.
"The killing of prisoners of war is a horrific war crime," said Hugh Williamson, Europe, and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Azerbaijani authorities have launched an investigation, which, in addition to prosecution, should ensure that something like this should never happen again."
Human Rights Watch verified the 40-second video using various methods, including consulting weapons and medical experts, analyzing the language heard in the video and using image search engines to determine whether the video was posted online before mid-September.
"These soldiers were captured and laid down their weapons. Their captors were obliged to treat them humanely. Instead, the Azerbaijani forces shot them in cold blood. Now they should be brought to justice," the statement said.
