Dutch parliament demands immediate release of Armenian POWs in new resolution

Following extensive discussions in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch parliament on Wednesday, the parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution at a plenary session on Thursday, demanding the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian captives being held in Azerbaijan.

A total of 147 Dutch lawmakers backed the resolution and just three voted against, the Armenian Embassy in the Netherlands reported.

"Whereas a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement has been signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which, among other things, envisages the exchange of prisoners, hostages, other detainees and bodies of victims;

Whereas the Third Geneva Convention on the treatment of captives obliges Armenia and Azerbaijan to release them immediately after the end of hostilities,

Whereas those countries are also obliged to humanely treat prisoners of war and to protect the detained civilians;

Noting that Azerbaijan has not yet released all Armenian POWs;

The resolution calls on the [foreign] minister to put pressure on Azerbaijan in the [European] Council to immediately release all Armenian prisoners of war and other captive persons,” the resolution reads.