Ombudsperson calls for immediate release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan

Armenian Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan has called for the immediate release of all Armenians currently held in Azerbaijan, her office reported.

In an interview to the Public Radio on Saturday, Manasyan said she has consistently raised the issue on her own initiative, without waiting for formal petitions, and intends to continue doing so using both public and confidential mechanisms.

“All Armenians deprived of their liberty in Azerbaijan must be released without delay,” she said.

Referring to Ruben Vardanyan’s mssage, Manasyan stressed the need to clearly define the purpose of any proposed visits related to detainees. She noted that expectations for her office to conduct monitoring activities inside Azerbaijan are not realistic.

“If such visits are expected to serve as a basis for continuous monitoring on my part, it should be clearly acknowledged that this is not possible within the jurisdiction of another state,” she said.