Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Wednesday, 2 December 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 16 December 2020. It was answered by Baroness Sugg (Conservative) on Thursday, 10 December 2020 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Armenia and Azerbaijan: Prisoners

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of prisoners still held by the governments of (1) Azerbaijan, and (2) Armenia; and what steps they intend to take to support the release of all prisoners and detainees in those countries who were held as a result of recent fighting.

Original answer: The UK Government has not made an estimate on the number of prisoners held by the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of recent fighting. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas recently spoke to both the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers where she highlighted the importance of return of prisoners of war and reinforced support for the International Committee of the Red Cross as the primary mediator through which prisoner exchanges should take place. We continue to monitor the situation carefully.

The answer was corrected by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative)

on Wednesday, 16 December 2020 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Corrected answer: The UK Government has not made an estimate on the number of prisoners held by the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of recent fighting. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas recently spoke to both the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers where she highlighted the importance of return of prisoners of war and reinforced support for the International Committee of the Red Cross as the primary mediator through which prisoner exchanges should take place. We continue to monitor the situation carefully.

Secondary information