MFA: Azerbaijan has rights and obligations to investigate and prosecute war crimes

Former separatist leaders that Armenia took care of for almost 30 years and other detainees of Armenian origin either have been charged or convicted of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, military aggression, torture, and other serious offenses, reads a commentary by Aykhan Hajizada, MFA spokesperson, on the baseless statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia on trials of Armenian detainees and peoples accused of war crimes in Azerbaijan, Olaylar informs.

According to Hajizada, Azerbaijan has rights and obligations to investigate and prosecute these offenses under the Geneva Conventions and generally under international and domestic law:

"These detentions have a proper legal basis and do not impair the detainees' rights. Even if the detainees were prisoners-of-war, under the Third Geneva Convention, prisoners-of-war against whom criminal proceedings for an indictable offense are pending may be detained until the end of such proceedings and, if necessary, until the completion of the punishment."