Armenia Officially Confirms Arrest of Artsakh Leaders by Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has issued a statement. “We strongly condemn the arrests by Azerbaijan of the leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including Arkadi Ghukasian, Bako Sahakian, Araik Harutyunyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Ruben Vardanyan, and others. Despite the statements from Azerbaijani officials regarding dialogue with the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, the respect and protection of the rights of Armenians, and their willingness not to impede their return to Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan's law enforcement continues to carry out arbitrary arrests.

The Republic of Armenia has repeatedly emphasized the need for guaranteeing the exclusion of such actions, including from the platform of the UN General Assembly on September 23. On September 28, Armenia submitted a request to the International Court of Justice concerning the case of Armenia vs. Azerbaijan under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, demanding that Azerbaijan refrain from punitive actions against the current or former leadership or military personnel of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Republic of Armenia will take all possible steps to protect the rights of the unlawfully arrested representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh in international courts, including judicial bodies. We also urge international partners to pursue their previous messages directed at Azerbaijan regarding the protection of the rights and security of the Nagorno-Karabakh people and to address this issue both in the context of bilateral relations with Azerbaijan and in various international forums,” the statement reads.