Aliyev's remarks after meeting with JD Vance raise more questions over Armenian prisoners, MP says

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s remarks following his meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance have raised further questions about Armenian prisoners unlawfully convicted in Baku, opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan says.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Abrahamyan, who represents the Pativ Unem faction, stated Aliyev’s comments suggested the issue of Armenians held in Azerbaijan was not a priority topic in the talks.

Earlier in February, Vance raised the issue of Armenian prisoners in his meeting with Aliyev, and the Azerbaijani president reportedly outlined Baku’s position.

Abrahamyan said this could indicate either that the matter was not seriously discussed and was raised only formally by the U.S. official in light of public sentiments in Armenia, or that there may have been some form of understanding between officials to deliberately sidestep the issue.

“Aliyev’s statements were somewhat surprising in the sense that the Azerbaijani leader essentially demonstrated that this topic was not a primary subject of discussion,” Abrahamyan said. “It's difficult to imagine that such an issue would simply be brushed aside in talks with a senior U.S. official.”

Abrahamyan argued that the remarks further reflected the Armenian government’s failure to prioritize prisoners in negotiations with Azerbaijan.

“In fact, this indicates that Azerbaijan brings up issues that matter to it and secures solutions on them, while matters of importance to Armenia do not receive meaningful attention,” he said.