Activists welcomed the Assembly of Corsica's call to free Armenian prisoners in Baku.

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The Assembly of Corsica adopted a resolution calling for the release of the Karabakh leaders convicted in Azerbaijan and ensuring the return of Karabakh Armenians to their homeland. Representatives of the Karabakh political community and activists welcomed the adoption of the resolution.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on February 17, the Baku military court sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, whose case was considered separately. The defendant, who headed the Karabakh government for only a few months during the blockade of the Lachin corridor, was found guilty of war crimes. Vardanyan refused to file an appeal, explaining that he does not recognize the verdict as an act of justice. Other prisoners, whose cases were considered separately, also received long sentences. The representative of the Armenian prisoners' interests at the European Court of Human Rights, Siranush Saakyan, reported on July 25 that information is coming about the poor health condition of the convicted, including serious injuries that may have been sustained as a result of violence.

On July 31, the Artsakh Support Association (ASA) reported that the Assembly of Corsica (l’Assemblée de Corse) adopted a resolution demanding the immediate release of 19 Armenian prisoners from Nagorno-Karabakh held in Azerbaijan, as well as the right of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh to a safe, dignified, and unhindered return to their homeland in accordance with the protective measures of the International Court of the UN.

Earlier, in 2020, the legislative body of Corsica condemned the hostilities and called on the UN and EU countries to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On August 4 the Central Committee of the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" of Nagorno-Karabakh issued a statement welcoming the decision of the Assembly of Corsica and expressing hope that "it will serve as an example for other states and international organizations."

Such positions are important not only from a moral but also from a political point of view

"Such positions are important not only from a moral but also from a political point of view. They indicate that within the international community, there are still structures and political forces that do not intend to consider the issue of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) closed merely because the situation has changed through the use of force," the statement published in the "Aparaj" party's publication reads.

The statement also notes that "the right of the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to return cannot depend on the political expediency of any state and cannot become a secondary issue in the negotiation process or be used as a bargaining chip in relations between different states," adding that "this also applies to the freedom of the military-political leaders of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and other Armenian prisoners held in Baku."

The Central Committee of the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" of Nagorno-Karabakh called on political and public structures of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Armenian diaspora to begin "to work consistently to ensure that individual statements and resolutions, as well as such practical successes, turn into a unified political pressure around the demands for the realization of the collective right of the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to return, the right to self-determination, and the immediate release of Armenians held in Baku"

The non-governmental organization "Union of Artsakh", which includes two dozen public organizations from Nagorno-Karabakh, published on its website on August 4 a link and the text of the resolution adopted by the Assembly of Corsica in Armenian.

The NGO "welcomes the resolution No. 2026/E5/011 adopted by the Assembly of Corsica at the extraordinary session on July 30-31, in which Corsica expresses its support for the people of Artsakh, states that Azerbaijan has carried out ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Artsakh and continues military-political and administrative occupation of Armenian territories, cites the decisions of the International Court of the UN, and contains a demand to ensure the right of the residents of Artsakh to a safe, dignified return under international guarantees, demands the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, and in this context calls on the European Union and its member states to employ all political, diplomatic, and legal mechanisms."

Such resolutions are of particular significance for the people of Artsakh

"Such resolutions are of particular significance for the people of Artsakh, as they once again confirm: the issue of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is not closed," said the chairman of the public organization "Union of Artsakh", human rights activist Artak Beglaryan.

According to Beglaryan, "the document explicitly states that it is Baku that bears full responsibility for the violent expulsion of the people of Artsakh from their homeland." "Such principled and humanitarian statements, voiced on international platforms, are extremely important. They help maintain the attention of the international community to the fate of the people of Artsakh, contribute to the struggle for the prompt release of our compatriots who are in captivity, and bring closer the achievement of a just solution," he added.

"The decision adopted by the parliament of Corsica is not a precedent, because after the violent expulsion of the Armenian population of Artsakh in 2023 and the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians caused by acts of genocide, similar discussions have already taken place on various international platforms - in the Swiss parliament, in the European Parliament, resolutions have been adopted obliging Azerbaijan to adhere to international norms," commented the adoption of the resolution to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" the deputy of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh Vagram Balayan.

The decision of the parliament of Corsica is another important political message that can only be welcomed.

"The decision of the parliament of Corsica is another important political message that can only be welcomed. It once again confirms that the Armenians of Artsakh have an inalienable right to live safely and freely in their homeland. Another crucial issue concerns the Armenian hostages illegally held in Baku. They must be released immediately, as the trials we have witnessed are not legal proceedings but represent an outright political farce," he added.

Balayan also noted that "representatives of the authorities and civil societies of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh should use all mechanisms to consistently bring these issues to the attention of international instances.

"I believe that such initiatives in no way hinder the negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as they are based solely on the principles of human rights protection, to which both European and international organizations are committed. Moreover, the consistent advancement of these issues may even strengthen the positions of the Republic of Armenia on diplomatic platforms, providing an opportunity within the framework of international law to protect the rights of those citizens whose rights have been grossly violated by another state," the deputy noted.

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