Arman Tatoyan: Baku using Armenian prisoners for political leverage

Former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has accused Azerbaijan of using Armenian prisoners as instruments to advance its political objectives.

Speaking to Panorama.am on Wednesday, Tatoyan said issues concerning Armenians held in Azerbaijan, as well as those listed as missing, should become “a cornerstone of the peace process” between the two countries.

According to him, these matters have been pushed into the realm of bilateral negotiations, isolating them from international oversight. “They may be written into a pre-agreed document, but international mechanisms have been entirely excluded,” he said.

Tatoyan argued that without international guarantees, Armenia faces growing pressure. “Once these issues are shifted to the bilateral domain, they can no longer be effectively monitored. Azerbaijan can make any demand it wants to the Armenian side and later tell the international community that Armenia is failing to meet its obligations,” he noted.

The former ombudsman claimed that the Azerbaijani authorities are “using Armenian prisoners of war and hostages to solve political issue.” He described ongoing trials in Azerbaijan involving Armenian detainees as fabricated processes designed to validate domestic political narratives.

“These are not genuine legal proceedings,” Tatoyan said. “Everything is carried out at the discretion of the Azerbaijani president.”