Hayakve deplores lack of diplomatic efforts to secure release of Armenian prisoners

The Hayakve initiative has voiced strong criticism over the lack of diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

“Robust diplomatic efforts should have been pursued through parliamentary channels to secure the release of Armenian prisoners. The National Assembly has friendship groups with 70 countries. How many of them have raised this issue with their counterparts in foreign parliaments?” the group said in a social media post on Saturday.

"In recent days, both local and international experts have repeatedly highlighted existing international legal tools that could be utilized. Attorney Jared Genser noted that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan could have formally requested the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the OSCE to send monitors to attend the ongoing trials in Baku.

“Moreover, Switzerland could have been asked to set up a special section within its embassy in Baku to represent Armenian interests and take steps towards the release of the Armenian hostages. But absolutely nothing has been done,” Hayakve stated.