International Working group for release of prisoners and hostages and tracing of missing persons of the Karabakh conflict

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PACE calls for Azeri-Armenian co-op on POWs
15 June 2006 [14:39] - Today.Az
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteur on migration, refugees and population has called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to cooperate on prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons.
"Collaboration between relevant bodies of the two countries is pivotal to solve the problem, in particular, in terms of simplifying the exchange of information," Leo Platvoet told a news conference at the CE Information Office in Baku upon completion of his visit to the region.
The rapporteur said both countries had expressed readiness to forge contacts to address the problems faced by these persons, and called for stepping up efforts in this area. He said the key objective was to arrange cooperation between the two countries.
"The fact that the sides are making such statements is evidence that the idea of establishing a joint institution may soon come into being," he said, adding that this option has already been applied by the Red Cross in the Balkans.
Platvoet said the entity could include representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia and both communities of Nagorno Karabakh. He added, however, that he had no discussions on the issue during his visit to the two countries.
Platvoet said the goal of the visit was to prepare a report on captives and missing persons in the South Caucasus based on his findings. The document will mostly cover humanitarian issues and have no bearing on politics, he stressed. "It will not touch on political aspects, as this could compromise the work being done."
The rapporteur said the report will be finalized in fall and further submitted to PACE's winter session for consideration.
"We have met with the family members of missing persons to study their problems. These mainly concerned collection of information. We also found out that their relatives are facing social problems. All these developments will be reflected in the report," Platvoet said.
The rapporteur met with members of the Azeri delegation at PACE. Several proposals he made during the discussions were not accepted by the MPs. He suggested that the Azerbaijani side collaborate with the institutions and NGOs in Nagorno Karabakh and send the parents of the missing persons to Armenia to assist in searching for them, which did not go down well with the Azerbaijani representatives.
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ITF Co-Chairs to visit Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh
ArmRadio.am, 17.06.2006 11:20
Co-Chairs of the International Task Force (ITF) on missing and captives Bernard Klazen and Paata Zackareishvili will arrive today in Yerevan.
During the trip they will be accompanied by Co-Chairs of the ITF Karine Minasyan, Avez Gasanov (Azerbaijan) and Albert Voskanyan (Nagorno-Karabakh).
The Co-Chairs are scheduled to meet with representatives of delegations of the International Committee for the Red Cross in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the State Committees on issues of the missing.
Issues of further cooperation are to be discussed. ITF Co-Chairs plan to meet several families of the missing.

International Working Group to investigate issue
on Azerbaijani prisoners of war in Armenia
17 June 2006 [09:05] - Today.Az
Pata Zakharashvili, co-chair of the International Working Group to Search for the Missing, Hostages and Prisoners of War will visit Armenia to investigate the issue on Azerbaijanis missing during the military operations in Nagorno Karabakh.
The Working Group coordinator in Azerbaijan Avaz Hasanov stated that the co-chair Zakarashvili will be accompanied by his counterpart Bernard Klazen and Hasanov himself on the visit.
The delegation members will meet in Tbilisi tomorrow and will visit Armenia from June 18 till 22.
Hasanov also said they will investigate the reports submitted by theState Commission for prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons on Azerbaijani prisoners of war and hostages held in Armenia as well as appeals of individuals. The Working Group has received 20 appeals from individuals for investigating the issue in Armenia, APA reports.
URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/27351.html

INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP HELD MEETINGS IN STEPANAKERT
DeFacto Agency, Armenia, June 19 2006
The International Working Group (IWG) on the Search for the Missing People, Hostages and POWs in the Karabakh conflict zone arrived in Nagorno Karabakh on a two-day working visit.
June 19 the IWG members met with the NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan, the leadership of the NKR State Committee on Missing People and Hostages, heads of the Stepanakert Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as with former hostages. In the course of the meeting the issues referring to activation of search for the missing and burial places were discussed. The requests of the state commissions on missing persons and hostages of Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan were considered as well.

INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP VISITS AZERBAIJANI OCCUPIED TERRITORIES TO INVESTIGATE ISSUE ON AZERBAIJANI POWS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan, June 19 2006
Co-chairs of the International Working Group to search for prisoners of war, missing and hostages, Pata Zakharashvili and Bernard Klazen have paid a two-day visit to the Azerbaijan's territories under Armenian occupation (APA).
The working group intends to meet the authorities of the International Committee of the Red Cross Office in Khankendi and former prisoners of war.
In today's talks with the authorities of the separatist regime in Khankendi, the group co-chairs stressed the importance of improving the finding of the missing persons during the Nagorno Garabagh war and their graves.
The working group will also make investigations on the basis of appeals from the Azerbaijani citizens.

Azerbaijani and Armenian state commissions for prisoners of war to meet in September
17 June 2006 [09:44] - Today.Az
Representatives of Azerbaijan's and Armenia's State Commissions for prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons will meet in September this year.
As APA reports, agreement on this meeting was reached during the Council of Europe rapporteur Leo Platvoet's latest visit to the region.

Though the meeting is expected to be in September, the specific date and venue have not yet been fixed.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/27357.html

INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP ON SEARCH FOR MISSING VISITING KARABAKH
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.06.2006 18:51 GMT+04:00
The International Working Group (IWG) on the Search for the Missing People, Hostages and POWs in the Karabakh conflict zone arrived in Nagorno Karabakh on a two-day working visit. The IWG members met with the NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan, the leadership of the NKR State Committee on Missing People and Hostages, heads of the Stepanakert Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, IWG coordinator in NKR Albert Voskanian informed.
In the course of the meetings the issues referring to activation of search for the missing and burial places were discussed. The requests of the state commissions on missing persons and hostages of Nagorno
Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan were considered as well. June 20 the IWG will depart for Yerevan to proceed with the work, reported De Facto news agency.

KARABAKH IS OPEN FOR IWG
Lragir.am, 20 June 06
The representatives of the International Working Group /IWG/ for Search of Missing, Captives and Release of POWs are visiting Stepanakert. The German co-chair of the IWG Bernhard Clasen told the reporter of Lragir.am that during his meeting a number of definite issues and the prospects of cooperation with the government agencies of Karabakh must be discussed. Bernhard Clasen said during their meetings with the government agencies in charge of POWs it became clear that all the doors remain open for the IWG. He said that Azerbaijan also knows it. In answer to the question whether they have visited placed where POW's might be kept, Bernhard Clasen said they do not have such a mission. He called the families of the missing to report any information they have to them.
The question of the missing and captives is one of the most complicated issues in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani relations. The governmental and non-governmental organizations of both sides present lists of thousands of missing people. However, experts say 14 years have already passed since the armistice and it is not probable that captives will be kept at homes or in prison. In other words, the efforts of the international organizations are directed at finding out the fate of the missing rather than searching for these people.
Answering the question of Lragir.am, Bernhard Clasen, nevertheless, did not deny that some people may still be alive but the chance to find them is getting smaller and smaller. The German human rights defender commended the decision of the PACE to appoint a special reporter on the missing after 14 years. Bernhard Clasen said during his visit to Yerevan Leo Platvoet met with their coordinator in Armenia Karineh Minasyan. Platvoet proposed to set up a Karabakh-Armenia-Azerbaijan committee for the search of captives. The delegation of IWG also includes Co-Chair Paata Zakareashvili, the Azerbaijani coordinator Avaz Hasanov and the Armenian coordinator Karineh Minasyan.

IWG CONCLUDED ITS TWO-DAY ACTIVITY IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
ArmRadio.am
20.06.2006 13:00
International Working Group (IWG) to Search for the Missing People, Hostages and Prisoners of War in the Karabakh conflict zone concluded its two-day activity in Nagorno-Karabakh.
IWG Co-Chair Bernard Klassen expressed his satisfaction with the meetings with NKR Foreign Minister Georgi Petrosyan, NKR State Committee on Missing People and Hostages, the leadership of the Stepanakert Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross. He noted that the meetings were productive.
"Both the Azeri and Armenian sides declare they have no prisoners of war and hostages, while the other party has. Our task is to check the authenticity of this information," The Co-Chair noted.
Today IWG delegation left Stepanakert for Yerevan.

NKR SHOULD DIRECTLY PARTAKE IN SEARCH FOR MISSING AND RELEASE OF
PRISONERS OF WAR
Yerkir, 20.06.2006 15:45
YEREVAN (YERKIR) - Yesterday Nagorno Karabakh FM Grigory Petrosyan met with the delegation of the International Working Group (IWG) for Search for the Missing, Hostages and Release of Prisoners of War in the zone of the NK conflict.
The Group comprises Co-Chairs Bernhard Klazen (Germany) and Paata Zakareishvili (Georgia), coordinators Karine Minasyan (Armenia), Avaz Hasanov (Azerbaijan) and Albert Voskanyan (NKR), reports the NKR MFA Press Service. During the meeting the current state of affairs in the IWG activities, matters of activation of the search for the missing and graves, problems and future plans were discussed.
Georgy Petrosyan noted that Nagorno Karabakh has continuously assisted the IWG activities and is always open to cooperation, while Baku constantly refuses to contact the respective NKR state commission. The Minister emphasized that politicization of the field is inadmissible, emphasizing that hostilities were in the territory of NK and NKR representatives should directly and actively participate in search for the missing, hostages and release of prisoners of war.
The IWG members agreed with the opinion of the NKR FM over the openness of the Karabakh party and its assistance to the Group work. At the same time Bernhard Klazen regretted that today former prisoners of war are judged and persecuted in Azerbaijan. He remarked that the IWG will do its best to convince Baku to refuse that practice. The meeting participants were for active cooperation of all interested parties in solving problems in that humanitarian field.

NKR FM STATED REPRESENTATIVES OF NKR MUST PARTICIPATE IN SEARCH FOR
MISSING PEOPLE AND HOSTAGES
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 20 2006
June 19 Nagorno Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrosyan received a delegation of the International Working Group (IWG) on the search for the missing people, hostages and release of POWs. The IWG Co-Chairs Bernhard Klazen (Germany) and Paata Zakareishvili (Georgia), Coordinators Karine Minasyan (RA), Avaz Gasanov (AR) and Albert Voskanyan (NKR) are in the delegation.
In the course of the meeting the interlocutors discussed the IWG present activity, the issues referring to activation of the search for the missing people and burial places, current problems and perspective plans, REGNUM reports quoting the NKR MFA Press Service. Georgy Petrosyan noted Nagorno Karabakh constantly promoted the IWG activity and was open for cooperation, while the Azeri authorities persistently deny contacts with the NKR corresponding state committee. In this connection the Minister spoke up for the inadmissibility of the sphere's politicization and called on the IWG members to more precisely express their attitude to the issue contradicting with the humanitarian law's principles. NKR FM underscored the hostilities had been committed on the territory of Nagorno Karabakh, and the NKR representatives must directly and actively participate in the search for the missing, hostages and release of POWs.
The IWG members agreed with the NKR FM's opinion on the Karabakh party's openness and its assistance to the group's work. At the same time Bernhard Klazen regretted that former POWs were judged and persecuted in Azerbaijan.
He noted the IWG would do its best to persuade Baku to abandon the practice.
The meeting's participants spoke up for all the concerned parties' active cooperation in the settlement of the humanitarian sphere's issues.
The same day the IWG delegation met with the Chair of the NKR State Commission for POWs, hostages and the missing people Victor Kocharyan. The member of the State Commission, NKR Deputy FM Masis Mailyan participated in the meeting as well.

STATE COMMISSION ON POWS, HOSTAGES AND MISSING PERSONS EXPRESSES
ATTITUDE TO BIASED AND ONE-SIDED MEDIA REPORTS
AzerTag, Azerbaijan, June 19 2006
Recently, there have been several biased and one-sided media reports commenting on the June 7-9, 2006 visit to Azerbaijan by Leo Platvoet, the rapporteur of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, according to the State Commission of the Azerbaijan Republic on POWs, Hostages and Missing Persons.
The reports blame the rapporteur for his alleged double-standard approach to the problem of missing persons, refusal to meet with their families and accept related materials and so on.
Given the mentioned above, the State Commission once again informs the public that PACE rapporteur Leo Platvoet met on June 8, 2006 with parents and relatives of the missing persons, heard them all out, and expressed his opinion on each case. During the 5-hour meeting over 40 interested persons suggested to the rapporteur that Armenia and separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh withhold the information about fates of their children, and asked PACE to help in search for them.
In response, Mr. Platvoet described the problem as very painful and said it was the reason why the decision to prepare a special report on the problem was made. He noted as well that the goal of the PACE mission should be gotten right. "Our major goal is to determine the scale of the problem, get acquainted with positions of the sides and bring them together to resolve this humanitarian problem," he said.
The State Committee considers that the PACE rapporteur was acting in the framework of the mission he was charged with, and approached the problem just in this context. To demand from him some out-of-mission activities is simply far from being logical, and misunderstanding of this is a result of inexperience.
At the meeting, Firudin Sadigov, Head of the working group at the State Commission on POWs, Hostages and Missing Persons provided its participants with detailed information about the accomplishment his group has gained so far and problems it comes across in its work. He stressed the necessity for the opposite side to take real and constructive steps to obtain positive results. Mr. Sadigov advised that since the beginning of the conflict, 1381 prisoners of war and hostages have been released, while the fates of 783 taken captive and hostage are still unknown as a result of inhumane approach by the opposite side. He added the documents related to the persons taken prisoners and hostages during intensive military operations were systemized and placed on the State Commission's official website in 2000. Mr. Sadigov also expressed regret at the fact that activity of the related structure in Armenia was badly organized.
He let the meeting participants know that the lists of 783 of 4604 registered POWs and hostages and related documents, photo and video materials reflecting vandal actions - including destruction of historical and cultural monuments, and administrative buildings in Shusha, Agdam and Khojaly - committed by Armenians in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, as well as those confirming illegal settling ethnic Armenians in these territories, had been handed over to the PACE mission for it to use them in the final report. These materials have also been stored on four CDs. Member of PACE officially accepted them to go through. Apart from that, the Commission states it had sent necessary materials to PACE even before the mission's visit to Azerbaijan.
The information on the meeting held was spread by the State Commission of the Azerbaijan Republic on POWs, Hostages and Missing Persons through mass media, as well as placed on its official website.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 23 2006
WORKING GROUP OF STATE COMMISSION ON POWS, HOSTAGES AND MISSING
PERSONS RESPONSES TO CLAIMS OF INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP
The working group of the State Commission on POWs, Hostages and Missing Persons made a statement on Thursday to respond to the claims by co-chairs of the international Working Group for the release of prisoners and hostages and the tracing of Missing People of the Karabakh conflict (IWG) that there is little chance of finding the missing people.
The Commission states that both Azerbaijanis and Armenian were missing in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions occupied by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia.
According to the Commission's data as of 20 June, 2006, the total number of the missing Azerbaijani citizens is 4581; the number of missing Armenians is 414, of whom 197 are citizens of Armenia, 211 are citizens of Azerbaijan of Armenian national, and 6 are citizens of other countries; 23 of the Armenians were missing in Armenia, 2 in Georgia, 389 in Nagorno-Karabakh, and only 10 beyond the area of military operations. Therefore, the statement says, it is obvious that search operations should be carried out just in the mentioned territories. However, repeated visits of the co-chairs of the International Working Group to the region has failed to help in finding out the fate of any missing person, even despite the co-chairs' statement on "open doors" for them in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"At the same time, they question their own claims on the people who survived noting there is tiny chance to find them. The first thing that should be done to find the missing people is to search for them," the statement continues.
"Regarding the alleged inhumane treatment of the former prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, the things have nothing to do with how Mr. Bernhard Clasen is trying to present them. No Azerbaijani authorities persecute or convict anyone for being a prisoner of war. These allegations by gentlemen from IWG are aimed at distraction of the public from their primary duties: search of the missing persons," the Commission says in the statement.
"The Commission informs the public once again that out of 1388 Azerbaijanis released from captivity, only 20 persons have been liable to criminal prosecution. All of them have been convicted for concrete crimes provided for in the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic. None of them was prosecuted for being a former POW. Therefore, the gentlemen from the International Working Group should devote their short visits to what this non-governmental organization was created for," the statement says in conclusion.

MEETING AT NKR FOREIGN MINISTRY
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
25 June 2006
On June 19 NKR Minister of Foreign Affairs Georgy Petrossian met with the delegation of the International Working Group (IWG) on the Search for Hostages, Captives and Missing People, including co-chairs Bernhard Clasen (Germany), Paata Zakareashvili (Georgia), coordinators Karine Minassian (Armenia), Avaz Hasanov (Azerbaijan) and Albert Voskanian (NKR). During the meeting they discussed the current activities of the IWG, the question of more active efforts in search for missing people and places of burial. The foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said Nagorno Karabakh constantly assists in the activities of the IWG and is open for cooperation, whereas the Azerbaijani government refuses relations with the relevant agency in Karabakh. Hence, the minister emphasized that the stage of the military actions was the territory of Nagorno Karabakh and the NKR representatives should have a direct and active participation in the search for the missing, captives and hostages. With regard to this, Georgy Petrossian criticized the efforts of Azerbaijan to politicize the sphere and called the members of the IWG for a more determined attitude towards this problem that contradicts to the principles of the humanitarian law. Bernhard Clasen thanked the Karabakh party for assistance, at the same time he regretted that former POWs are tried and persecuted in Azerbaijan. He mentioned that the IWG will do everything to persuade Baku to put an end to these phenomena. The participants of the meeting emphasized the necessity for active cooperation of all the interested parties in this humanitarian sphere. On the same day the IWG delegation met with the head of the State Task Force on POWs, Hostages and Missing People. Deputy Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan, who is a member of the Task Force, also participated in the meeting.

LEO PLATVOET SUGGESTS FORMING A WORKING GROUP TO SEARCH FOR THE MISSING
ArmRadio.am
29.06.2006 16:27
During the meeting with Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosyan PACE Rapporteur for the Missing in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Dutch MP Leo Platvoet discussed the outcomes of his latest visit to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Platvoet noted it would be very important for his mission to visit Nagorno-Karabakh and Abkhazia. The PACE Rapporteur suggested that Tigran Torosyan provide him the list of the missing Armenians to organize search for them in Azerbaijan and find those, who are, possibly, still alive. To promote the search for the missing, Platvoet proposed to form a working group with participation of all parties under the patronage of the Red Cross.

PACE REPORTER ON ISSUES OF MISSING PEOPLE IN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA TO VISIT NKR AS WELL
STRASBOURG, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY.
The meeting of RA NA Speaker, head of the Armenian delegation in PACE Tigran Torosian and PACE Reporter on Issues of Missing People in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Leo Platvoet was held on June 28 in Strasbourg. The results of Platvoet's recent visit to the region were discussed at the meeting.
Tigran Torosian expressed satisfaction that Leo Platvoet agreed to meet with the head of the NKR Committee and one of the NGOs engaged in issues of missing people during the visit and remained loyal to the approach of not politicizing the issue of missing people during the regional visit. He expressed readiness to assist all the efforts of the report aimed at the solution of this important, humane issue.
In connection with Tigran Torosian's proposal made in Yerevan about visiting NKR Leo Platvoet said that in his opinion, it will be useful to visit Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia and he decided to present his report on the visit during the sitting of the PACE Committee on Refugees, Migration and Demography, proposing that the Committee give consent to the idea of visiting Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia.
As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA NA Public Relations Department, this proposal was adopted at the Committee sitting later.
Leo Platvoet proposed giving the lists of missing Armenians so that an attempt can be made to organize searches in Azerbaijan to find those who are maybe still alive. Platvoet was proposed creating a working group with participation of all sides, under the aegis of the Red Cross, for the purpose of assisting the searches of missing people. The proposal was accepted.

PACE COMMISSION TO VISIT NAGORNY KARABAKH IN OCTOBER
YEREVAN, June 29 (RIA Novosti)
- Armenian and Azerbaijani officials have agreed to let a special commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Nagorny Karabakh visit the conflict zone in October.
Committee head Lord Russell Johnston proposed during a meeting in Strasbourg that a seminar be held for parliamentary members from the warring sides, an Armenian parliamentary source said.
PACE approved the structure of the commission, which will include heads of the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations to PACE, one representative of the opposition from each side, rapporteurs of the Council of Europe monitoring group on the countries, Lord Russell Johnston, and a rapporteur on missing persons.
The conflict between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, an Azerbaijani region with a largely Armenian population, first erupted in 1988, when the region claimed independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia.
Over 30,000 people were reported dead on both sides between 1988 and 1994, and over 100 others died after a ceasefire was concluded in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenian hands, but tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia have persisted.

PLATVOET PROPOSED FORMING WORKING GROUP WITH PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIA,
KARABAKH AND AZERBAIJAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
29.06.2006 14:53 GMT+04:00
At a meeting with Armenian Speaker Tigran Torosyan PACE Rapporteur for the Missing in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Dutch MP Leo Platvoet discussed the outcomes of his latest visit to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Torosyan thanked Platvoet for meeting during the visit with NKR NGOs dealing with the affairs of the missing and is committed to not politicizing the issue. Platvoet noted it would be very important for his mission to visit Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazia. The PACE Rapporteur suggested that Tigran Torosyan provide him a lit of missing Armenians to organize search for them in Azerbaijan and "find those, who is, maybe, still alive." To promote search for the missing, Platvoet proposed to form a working group with participation of all parties under the patronage of the Red Cross. The Speaker was ready to assist in drawing a report aimed at solving that important human problem, reports the Press Service of the NA of Armenia.