On the eve of the New Year, certain positive shifts occurred in places in the zones of separatist conflicts in the post-Soviet space.

In Ukraine, in the Donbas, on the border with the self-proclaimed “DPR” and “LPR”, an exchange of prisoners took place on the principle of “all for all.”

Even the occupying Georgian terrariums of the Russian Federation and the puppet Tskhinvali separatist regime, under pressure from the international community, the doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili was released.

It would seem that the “most humane in the world”, “ancient” and “cultural” regime in the Republic of Armenia, continuing the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, should also show its conformity with the latest tendencies of “relaxation” of tension.

Moreover, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani side, guided by the norms of international humanitarian law, took the initiative to exchange prisoners and detained civilians on the principle of "all for all." And more than once.

On April 29, 2016, Azerbaijan offered Armenia an exchange of prisoners on the principle of "all for all."

In addition, in 2017-2018, the State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens of Azerbaijan discussed the issue of exchange on the principle of “all for all” with the co-chairs of the International Working Group on the search for missing persons, the release of prisoners and hostages to persons in the Karabakh zone Conflict (IWG) Bernhard Klasen (Germany), Svetlana Gannushkina (Russia) and Paata Zakareishvili (Georgia).

Baku’s latest appeal about the exchange of two Armenian prisoners of war - Karen Kazayarn and Araik Kazaryan, who are under arrest in Azerbaijan for two Azerbaijani hostages - Dilgam Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev, held by the Armenian side, was sent to international organizations on September 11, 2019.

However, in December 2019, Armenia categorically refused the exchange of retained persons with Azerbaijan on the principle of "all for all." As for Dilgam Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev, they are held by the Armenian occupation regime in fact as civilian hostages. In the "best traditions" of Dashak terrorists.

Azerbaijani citizen Guliyev and Russian citizen Askerov were taken hostage in July 2014 by the armed forces of Armenia in the territory of the occupied Kelbajar region of Azerbaijan. A third Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, was killed by the invaders.

The so-called "court" of the separatist regime of "NKR" sentenced Askerov to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in prison. And to exchange hostages for Armenian prisoners of war captured in the Azerbaijani territory, the Yerevan regime and its separatist “unit” - the so-called “NKR” - fundamentally they do not want to.

According to Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, all the “fault” of the Azerbaijani hostages is that they went to their native lands to visit the graves of their ancestors. This is despite the fact that recently Armenians from the Russian Federation quite often go to Azerbaijan, to Baku, and if one of them is “wrapped” at the border or at the airport (for security reasons) - they begin to resent”.

Elmar Mammadyarov notes that the Armenian side, in violation of the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols, continues to flagrantly violate its international obligations and has been holding innocent hostages for more than five years. This shows that in reality, Yerevan is not at all striving for a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, let alone de-occupation of territories and the return of refugees.

KavkazPlus