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During the PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) debates on the Council of Europe’s priorities in Strasbourg on Tuesday, a member of the Armenian delegation, MP Naira Zohrabyan spoke about Azerbaijan’s refusal to return Armenian prisoners of war (POWs).

In a statement, Zohrabyan called on the PACE to give an assessment to Azerbaijan’s policy of Armenophobia and use all its levers to force Azerbaijan to release Armenian captives.

Reflecting on the opening of the “military trophy park” in Baku showcasing military equipment seized from the Armenian forces during the recent war, the lawmaker called it demonstration of “fascism.”

“In fact, the Council of Europe and the Assembly have been undergoing very strange transformations in outlining their priorities in the recent years.

“For me, it is at least perplexing that the Council of Europe, which seems to have transformed into an anti-Russian club, is selecting the issue of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny as the number one subject in all its recent agendas. Whereas what is happening in some Council of Europe member states in the 21st century is simply horrifying,” Zohrabyan said.

“A few days ago a museum unprecedented with its cynicism opened in Baku, showcasing military trophies seized from the Armenian forces during the recent Artsakh war. You should have seen how Aliyev was proudly walking through the helmets of killed Armenian soldiers, you should have seen how Azerbaijani children were having fun by choking the wax mannequins of Armenian soldiers.

“The very issue of this fascist exhibition in Baku had to become one of the priority issues today. It was horrible to see how Azerbaijanis were standing in a queue that stretched for several kilometers to see that disgraceful exhibition. They brought their children with them, who were stating that Armenians are their genetic enemies.

“It is good that today the Assembly will finally discuss the issue of Armenian POWs. Six months after the war there are hundreds of prisoners of war in Azerbaijani prisons; Azerbaijan not only refuses to provide clear information about Armenian POWs to the European Court of Human Rights, but cynically declares that they are not prisoners of war. Incidentally, one of the prisoners of war was buried by his family a few days ago. I want to understand why the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights has not yet visited the Baku prisons to see the inhumane conditions in which Armenian prisoners of war are being held.

“When Council of Europe member states Azerbaijan and Turkey are cynically violating human rights, when Aliyev announces that they won the war, because they raised a whole generation of Azerbaijani youth with hatred for the enemy, it is such racist and anti-Armenian statements which should become a subject of discussions at our organization, otherwise we violate the fundamental values of our organization with fake agendas,” the Armenian MP stated.