Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday that the swift release of the remaining Armenians held in Azerbaijan would further strengthen the recently established peace between the two countries.
“The position regarding the persons held in Azerbaijan, the prisoners of war, remains the same. I prefer not to speak loudly and publicly about this issue, but rather to work on it. When there is a result, the public is informed. We welcome the recent release of four prisoners and are confident that the prompt release of all remaining detained persons will further strengthen the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We are working in this direction, and we are also discussing this issue with Azerbaijan and, first and foremost, with Azerbaijan’s partners. At this moment, there is no result. This is a matter where there either is a result or there is not. We are working, of course, and this issue cannot be removed from our agenda. When there is a result, you will know,” the Armenian foreign minister said.
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 Nagorno-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.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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