Armenian opposition MP says prisoner issue 'relegated to the sidelines'

Opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan accused the Armenian leadership of sidelining the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan after the Baku Military Court sentenced former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Abrahamyan, who represents the Pativ Unem faction, stressed that the issue of Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan had never been a legal matter.

“As expected, a harsh sentence was handed down against Ruben Vardanyan,” he wrote. “The issue of Armenians illegally held in Baku has never been legal in essence. It is purely political and its resolution must follow political logic.”

According to Abrahamyan, although the issue of prisoners is occasionally raised during meetings, it has never been treated as a priority in negotiations.

“The Armenian authorities consider the Artsakh issue closed and fear that raising related matters could anger Baku,” he stated. “As a result, the issue of prisoners has been relegated to the sidelines.”

The MP called for the release of all Armenians imprisoned in Baku.