Armenia continuing silent diplomacy to secure return of detainees from Azerbai

The Armenian government continues to conduct diplomatic work quietly toward securing the release of Armenians held in Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in his address to the European Parliament at a plenary session.

Pashinyan noted that Azerbaijan had recently released four Armenian detainees, adding that the news had brought great happiness.

The PM  said the government had quickly returned to what he described as diplomatic silence in order to facilitate the return of the remaining detainees.

“If the government had not previously adopted this approach, the return of the four Armenians on January 14 would not have taken place,” he noted.

Four Armenians were released by Azerbaijan earlier in January, bringing the number of remaining captives to 19.

Earlier in February, an Azerbaijani military court sentenced several former top political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh to life imprisonment on war crime–related charges widely seen as fabricated.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy Davit Manukyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former Speaker of Parliament Davit Ishkanyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Former Presidents Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan received 20-year prison sentences, as they are over the age of 65 and Azerbaijani law prohibits life imprisonment for individuals of that age.

They are all among the 19 Armenian captives.

Other captives received sentences ranging from 15 to 19 years.

After Azerbaijan’s takeover of Karabakh during its 2023 offensive, the Armenian population—over 100,000 people—fled to Armenia seeking refuge. The former politicians and others were detained during the exodus.