Artsakh ombudsmen appeal to Vance

Current and former Artsakh Human Rights Defenders Gegham Stepanyan and Artak Beglaryan have addressed a letter to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance ahead of his trip to the South Caucasus, urging him to press for the release of Armenian prisoners held in Baku. The full letter is provided below.

"Letter to J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States

From: Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsmen Gegham Stepanyan and Artak Beglaryan

Dear Mr. Vice President,

We welcome your diplomatic mission to our region. This visit occurs at a definitive moment for the peace framework established by President Trump. As Human Rights Ombudsmen of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), we emphasize that the success of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and the outcomes of the August 2025 Washington Summit depend heavily on healing deep-seated humanitarian wounds.

While political agreements are being initialed, the hundreds of Armenian families whose loved ones vanished during the 2023, 2020, and 1990s Azerbaijani aggressions remain in a state of agonizing uncertainty. The persistent lack of cooperation from Baku regarding missing persons is not a secondary issue; it is one of the primary sources of regional tension and a fundamental violation of the right to know the fate of one's relatives.

A sustainable peace cannot be built on a foundation of "unknown fates." We ask that the U.S. administration champion:

· The establishment of a neutral, data-driven mechanism to locate and identify those missing in action as a result of military actions and the fuel depot explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh.

· Ensure full transparency and the cooperation of the Azerbaijani side in the search for individuals or their remains and their repatriation.

· A clear commitment that the fate of the disappeared will be resolved as a necessary ground for the full implementation of regional trade projects.

Complementing the need for clarity on the missing is the urgent matter of the 19 Armenians still imprisoned in Baku. Their continued captivity, marked by sham legal proceedings and life sentences handed down just this month, represents a straightforward humanitarian hurdle that must be cleared.

Securing the freedom of these individuals is the simplest and most effective action the United States can facilitate to prove that this peace process is anchored in justice rather than convenience. It is the most direct and shortest way to generate the public trust required for the Armenian people to believe in the peace agenda. Without these fundamental humanitarian acts, regional infrastructure projects will lack the social foundation necessary for long-term stability.

President Trump has frequently stated that true stability is built through strength and clear moral commitments, specifically regarding the protection of vulnerable populations and religious heritage. Your presence in the South Caucasus is a powerful signal that the United States intends to guide this mediation toward a final, just, and dignified peace.

We urge you to make the resolution of the missing persons' cases and the freedom of all Armenian captives a central pillar of your discussions in Baku."