Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan on Tuesday told Britain’s Ambassador to Armenia that Azerbaijan continues to detain Armenian prisoners of war in an effort to advance Baku’s military and political interests.

John Gallagher, the UK ambassador, was briefed by Tatoyan about the violations of rights of Armenia’s border residents by the Azerbaijani armed forces, with concrete facts and examples. Tatoyan also emphasized the need for Azerbaijani armed forces to immediately withdraw from the roads in the vicinity of Armenian villages and stressed the need creating a demilitarized security zone.

The human rights defender also spoke about the urgency for the return of Armenian captives illegally being held in Azerbaijan, as well as the fact that those people are held there for political and military interests, for trade purposes.

Tatoyan praised Britain for its commitment to human rights and highlighted his office’s cooperation with various British human rights institutions.

Other issues discussed during the meeting included inconsistencies within Armenia’s judiciary, as well as the protection of rights of women and children were also discussed.

Tatoyan told Gallagher that during the COVID-19-related restrictions in Armenia a working group was formed at his office dealing with the protection of women’s, children’s rights, the prevention of domestic violence. He also presented the current challenges in the field of the protection of rights of children.