Parents of Armenian POW Advised to Appeal to European Court of Human Rights

Until it's known whether POW Hakob Injighulyan captured in Azerbaijan has any demands or not, his parents can appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), based on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to respect one's private and family life). Expert on international law, attorney Ara Ghazaryan said this to Pastinfo.am [AM], explaining that the article includes the right to reunite parents and children and in such cases, the states that have adopted the Convention have an affirmative duty to provide at least one direct connection between parents and children before moving an individual to a third country.

"I think, on this basis it's possible to apply to the European Court, in the hope of a legal stance," he said. 

Ghazaryan said there are no precedents in this regard, but there are precedents to similar issues, so the parents should at least try and "not rely only on the Red Cross or relevant state bodies" — along with using the mechanisms available in the public sphere, the mechanism of individual rights can also be applied. Thus, Ghazaryan is advising Injighulyan's family to appeal to the ECtHR.

"Perhaps it will become a precedent for other cases, but the fact that these cases won't end with this, that there will be similar, new cases, I have no doubt because I don't see Azerbaijan's government changing its policy toward Armenians, and I stress, Armenians, not the Republic of Armenia. Xenophobia continues to grow in Azerbaijan," he said. 

Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation to Armenia Sarah Epprecht on March 12 delivered three letters to Injighulyan's family. Hakob's brother, Harutyunyan Injighulyan, told Epress.am: "The contents of Hakob's letter are again the same, that everything is fine, he has no problems. He only asks to wait a little more and everything will be fine. We had sent three letters, from my mother, sister, and grandfather. Hakob responded to each of them separately and said that the thing that bothers him the most is longing [missing family]: 'Rest assured that the yearning won't last long and after some time it will pass'."

Recall, Hakob Injighulyan on the night of August 7–8, while carrying out his military service, lost his bearings and crossed the Karabakh-Azerbaijan border, ending up on the territory controlled by Azerbaijan.