Trade of Prisoners of War: Russian Newspaper's Take on Recent Events

The Russian newspaper Svobodnaya Pressa has addressed the topic of the return of Armenian prisoners of war, drawing attention to a recent incident when an airplane from Baku, which according to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's press secretary was supposed to bring Armenian prisoners of war back home, landed empty at Yerevan's Erebuni Airport.

“Commanded by General Rustam Muradov, who is in charge of the peacekeeping forces stationed in Artsakh, the prisoners were personally accompanied back by him. Therefore, when on April 8, Pashinyan's press secretary Mane Gevorgyan announced that Muradov was supposedly bringing several prisoners of war to Yerevan, a large number of relatives gathered at Erebuni airport. Journalists were also present, hoping for tears of joy and long-awaited embraces to boost Pashinyan's tarnished rating,” the article states.

“However, only Muradov got off the plane. The waiting crowd was enraged and didn't know whom to blame. Reports also emerged of scuffles with police. Subsequently, people headed to the Ministry of Defense building, joining a protest organized by the parents of missing servicemen. The situation escalated to such an extent that Ministry employees had to be evacuated by helicopter to escape the angry relatives,” the article notes, adding that “in behind-the-scenes conversations, Armenian officials were trying to redirect blame toward the Russian general.”

“However, people believed Muradov, who put an end to all questions. Responding to a question from a reporter from Hayastani Hanrapetutyun newspaper on why Armenian officials announced the return of prisoners when none were actually returned, Muradov stated: ‘That is a false provocation. Ask them. They are deceiving the population. It was a regular visit,’” the author emphasizes.

As noted, the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan announced that Pashinyan had not officially stated anything about the release and return of prisoners, suggesting that such news may have spread after the meeting between the Attorney General of Armenia Arthur Davtyan and his Russian counterpart Igor Krasnov.

“However, the Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan practically admitted that a provocation had taken place, as Muradov had mentioned, and that this should rightly be termed a ‘conspiracy’ by Pashinyan. According to the Deputy Speaker, ‘there was no agreement; they simply hoped, as they do every day, that the flight would bring good news.’”

“I think we should apologize to our compatriots for such misinformation,” Simonyan stated.

“Here lies a small but significant nuance. Simonyan made this comment to Radio Liberty, which supports the 'Soros' individuals in Yerevan. Meanwhile, there was no mention of apologizing to our general,” the article's author records.

In analyzing who among the 'Soros people' is genuinely concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners of war, the source quotes the American portal Eurasianet: “Ahead of extraordinary parliamentary elections, the issue of prisoners of war is turning into a political football, and voters are likely to judge the current government's performance somewhat based on its ability to secure the return of prisoners.”

“Interestingly, Russian government-controlled newspapers and television channels haven’t provided a harsh reaction to the provocation of the Yerevan 'Soros people.' After all, it is clearly stated in black and white in the message addressed to the relatives of the prisoners that perhaps if the Kremlin truly wanted, Aliyev would return all the prisoners from Artsakh at that very moment. After all, the largest Azerbaijani diaspora resides in the Russian capital, so what is stopping Attorney General Igor Krasnov from putting pressure on one of the influential and wealthy Azerbaijanis residing in Moscow?” the author notes, emphasizing that Baku is holding about 200 Armenian prisoners and is obliged to return them according to the 8th point of the trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020.

Pashinyan refers to the fact that Putin is a guarantor, which implies that the return of prisoners falls directly within his obligations; however, Aliyev has only acknowledged 60 ‘saboteurs’ who were detained after the end of the military operations. As the author points out, considering contemporary international practices regarding the return of prisoners, Baku seems to want to 'sell' the Armenian prisoners to Yerevan at a higher price.

“Here, America's interests come to the surface. A high-ranking official in the White House, whose name is not mentioned, has reportedly called on Baku to free detainees as a ‘gesture of goodwill.’ It is evident that pressure will be exerted on Aliyev close to June 20, ahead of the parliamentary extraordinary elections, to secure the re-election of the 'Soros people' in Armenia,” states the publication, recalling that according to Siranuş Sahakyan, a representative of Armenian prisoners' interests at the ECHR, Azerbaijan is setting three conditions: Withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh, ceding new territories, including the village of Tigranashen, and control over the road from the Red Market to Shushi.

“By the way, the main thing is different. I presume I can imagine what Aliyev will ask of Pashinyan in exchange for prisoners. I believe it would be the corridor through Meghri, which Azerbaijan could use to connect with Nakhijevan. They need a way to Turkey,” quotes the author the director of the Caucasus Institute, political scientist Alexander Iskandaryan.

Meanwhile, the source notes that America does not want to escalate relations with Turkey, which supports Baku; thus, the U.S. lacks real mechanisms to exert pressure on Azerbaijan, not to mention the problematic Georgian corridor.

“As for Russia, Moscow is unlikely to exert pressure on Baku as long as the 'Soros people' remain in power in Yerevan, who are capable of resorting to any vile actions against Russia. The provocation regarding the return of prisoners, which Muradov was supposedly supposed to bring back, is vivid proof of this. The source cites a report from JAMnews that the return of prisoners was indeed planned but fell through at the last moment. According to the portal, ‘During his visit to Moscow, Pashinyan agreed to some proposals from Putin, which were conveyed to Aliyev. In response, the Azerbaijanis were ready to return the prisoners. Upon returning to Yerevan, Pashinyan likely regretted it and refused the promise he made to Putin. Baku learned about this in time, and only sent Muradov alone to Yerevan,’” the article concludes.