Party leader urges Foreign Ministry to act on Armenian prisoners held in Baku

Mesrop Arakelyan, co-founder of the Country of Living party, has urged the Armenian Foreign Ministry to take action to secure the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, moving beyond statements of concern.

“The actions of the Armenian government and the Foreign Ministry do not inspire much hope neither among us nor the public. It has been a year and a half since Artsakh’s military and political leaders, along with other Armenian prisoners of war, have been detained in Baku, yet the Foreign Ministry remains silent,” he announced at a protest outside the ministry on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, the Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over images and videos from the sham trials of 23 Armenian prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees in Azerbaijan, as well as alarming reports from their lawyers regarding coercion, torture and the evident deterioration of their health, including that of Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently on a hunger strike.

"Armenian citizens can express concern about the fate of our compatriots held in Baku, but the Foreign Ministry should move beyond statements of concern and take concrete steps," Arakelyan stressed.

The former advisor to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan acknowledged that Azerbaijan’s current stance makes it impossible for Armenia to resolve the issue alone.

"However, Armenia must take the lead in bringing this issue to international platforms. Specifically, we propose organizing a meeting of ambassadors accredited in Armenia - a practice used in the past - where the government should formally demand the immediate release of Armenians imprisoned in Baku. The return of the prisoners must be a top priority on Armenia’s foreign policy agenda," Arakelyan emphasized, underscoring that it is a matter of international law.

He further asserted that under Nikol Pashinyan’s administration, the chances of securing the return of prisoners of war are slim to none, insisting on a change of power to increase the likelihood of their repatriation.