Protesters asked Vance to help free former Karabakh leaders
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During the visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance to Yerevan, a rally was held in which participants asked for assistance in the release of former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders imprisoned in Azerbaijan and in the search for those missing during the Karabakh wars.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in the lead-up to US Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Yerevan, activists and clergy of Nagorno-Karabakh requested assistance in the release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan. During Vance's visit, a statement on investments in Armenia's nuclear energy sector was signed, and Armenia also purchased drones from the United States.
On February 5, former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy David Manukyan, and former parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan were sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court in Baku. Another 10 people were sentenced to terms ranging from 15 to 20 years in prison. Opposition representatives believe the life and long sentences for members of the Karabakh military-political leadership were made possible by the inaction of the Armenian authorities. The harsh sentence imposed on the military-political leadership of Karabakh is due not only to accusations of war crimes, but also to Baku's intention to use it in negotiations with Armenia, some social media users noted. Some believe that Azerbaijan, on the contrary, could release the convicted to demonstrate its desire for peace.
Representatives of public organizations from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh held a two-hour rally on February 9 near the residence of the Armenian president on Baghramyan Avenue in connection with the visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance. They asked the US to help release Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan and facilitate the search for missing persons, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.
Participants came with photographs of Armenian prisoners and posters in English demanding their release and the search for missing persons. They also chanted "Freedom for Armenian hostages" in English. According to the organizers, approximately 300 people attended the rally. The Nagorno-Karabakh Information Headquarters announced the upcoming rally on February 8 via social media and media outlets. "The rally is being held during the US Vice President's visit to Yerevan with the aim of once again drawing the attention of the United States and the international community to the release of Armenian captives and the search for missing persons," the event announcement stated. On the afternoon of February 9, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a statement closing roads and restricting traffic in central Yerevan "in connection with the visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance and to ensure the safety of participants in state ceremonial events scheduled for February 9 and 10 in Yerevan." "On February 9, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., traffic will be restricted along Baghramyan Avenue and Proshyan Street up to the intersection of Baghramyan Avenue and Moskovyan Street. On February 9 and 10, at different times, traffic will be restricted along Abovyan Street from the intersection of Abovyan and Tumanyan Streets to Republic Square, and along Pushkin Street from the intersection of Pushkin and Koghbatsi Streets to Sakharov Square," the department said in a statement.
Protest participants handed over a signed letter of appeal to the US Vice President.
"Our demand is that at a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, expected in two days in Baku, he demand that his elder brother (referring to President Aliyev), Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, return all 19 of our hostages," said protester Arman Petrosyan..
What the Armenian government is not doing, society must do – demand the release of Armenian prisoners and military-political leaders illegally held in Baku.
Former Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan said at a rally that "what the Armenian government is not doing, society must do – demand the release of Armenian prisoners and military-political leaders illegally held in Baku."
"Public pressure is logical, especially when a high-ranking representative of a great power is in the region. The current Armenian authorities not only fail to demonstrate sufficient willpower to enshrine the issue of the return of prisoners in the peace agreement, but are, in fact, hindering this process," the human rights activist noted.
Armenia faction MP Artur During the rally, Khachatryan called on Washington to "use its authority to return 19 Armenian prisoners from Baku prisons and emphasized the need to protect the Armenian population and cultural heritage of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and curb the "barbaric actions" of Azerbaijan, which threaten the preservation of the Armenian trace in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)", and that "any steps to return the prisoners and protect heritage will be an important humanitarian step towards long-term peace and stability in the region."
In his speech at the rally, former Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan stated that "the visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance to Armenia would be more effective if it were accompanied by the release of all Armenian prisoners held in Baku, that is, it would be much better if he first went to Baku and brought from there to Yerevan all of our compatriots." According to Beglaryan, "Armenian prisoners are effectively hostages and are being used for political bargaining purposes," he emphasized that "the US leadership, as a party interested in peace and the restoration of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, has the opportunity to take a concrete humanitarian step that will bring real peace to the region." Beglaryan called on Vice President Vance during his visit to Baku "to clearly raise the issue of the immediate release of all 19 Armenian prisoners, clarifying the fates of those missing, and creating practical mechanisms for the return of the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)." Hundreds of Armenian families continue to live in uncertainty. Earlier, on February 8, the ombudsman and former ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh, Gegham Stepanyan and Artak Beglaryan, sent a letter to US Vice President Jay D. Vance with an appeal to pay special attention to humanitarian issues within the peace process. At the beginning of the letter, the human rights activists noted that "hundreds of Armenian families continue to live in uncertainty due to the lack of information about the fate of those missing during the Azerbaijani aggressions of 1990, 2020, and 2023. Baku's refusal to cooperate on this issue is a key source of regional tension and a gross violation of human rights." "A lasting peace cannot be built on the basis of 'unknown fates.' We ask the US administration to take a leading role in the following issues: establish a neutral, conditions-based mechanism to establish the location and identification of persons missing during the hostilities and the explosion of the fuel storage facility in Nagorno-Karabakh; ensure full transparency and cooperation from the Azerbaijani side in the search and repatriation of persons or their remains; make a clear commitment to consider clarification of the fate of missing persons as a prerequisite for the full implementation of regional projects," the human rights activists urged in the letter. In The letter specifically highlights the issue of 19 Armenians who remain imprisoned in Baku, and that "their detention, accompanied by sham trials and life sentences, is a serious humanitarian obstacle to peace." "Securing the freedom of these individuals is the simplest and most effective step the United States can take to demonstrate that this peace process is based on justice, not mere accommodation. It is the most direct and shortest path to building the public trust necessary for the Armenian people to believe in the peace agenda. Without these basic humanitarian steps, regional infrastructure projects will lack the public foundation necessary for long-term sustainability," the human rights activists noted in a joint letter. Ashot Danielyan, Chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament, sent an open letter to US Vice President J.D. Vance, calling on Washington to "move from statements to active actions to protect the rights of the Armenian population." Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)". The powers of the Karabakh parliament have been extended given the emergency situation in which the unrecognized republic finds itself. The former leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have effectively lost control of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh since the fall of 2023. Following the mass exodus of Nagorno-Karabakh residents to Armenia, the president of the unrecognized republic signed a decree terminating its existence. Civil servants were dismissed, but senior officials continued to work in Yerevan. On January 1, 2024, the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic ceased to exist in accordance with the decree of its last president, Samvel Shahramanyan. On September 2, 2024, on the anniversary of the proclamation of the republic, Shahramanyan stated that the signing of the decree on the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh was forced. Danielyan recalled that "in September 2023, the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh was forcibly expelled from their native land as a result of a blockade, pressure, and systematic intimidation in the absence of international security guarantees," and emphasized that "a 'peace' imposed by force and demographic changes cannot be sustainable or just." Danielyan stated "the need for the active participation of the United States and international structures in the issue of those missing during the Karabakh conflict and the release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan," adding that "ignoring these problems creates a dangerous precedent." The Chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament also emphasized that "long-term peace in the region is impossible without accountability for violations of international law, the restoration of the rights of displaced persons, and the creation of mechanisms for their safe and voluntary return." We've updated our apps for Android and IOS! 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