Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan has reiterated that the Pashinyan administration maintains constant focus on issues pertaining to the remaining Armenian captives and other detainees held in Azerbaijan.

Avanesyan was asked at a press conference whether she had any information regarding the health condition of the detainees.

“Coordination efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia regarding all issues related to both the health condition and other matters concerning Armenians held in Baku are continuously ongoing. I assure you that these issues remain in the spotlight through both international law and all possible humanitarian channels, under the coordination of our foreign policy department. These efforts do not pause or slow down for a single moment but are constantly in the focus of our government’s attention,” Avanesyan said.

The 19 remaining Armenian captives and detainees in Azerbaijan include former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, such as former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arkady Ghukasyan; former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan; former Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

The Armenian government has repeatedly stated that it continues efforts to secure the release of the captives and other detainees.

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, which are widely seen as fabricated and part of a sham trial. Vardanyan was sentenced to 20 years. He denounced the trial as a “farce” and denied all charges.