Is the Issue of Prisoners Still on the Agenda? The Foreign Ministry Responds.

The newspaper "Hay-Zhoghovurd" reports: Publications about Armenian prisoners can only be found on the internet at the beginning of 2024. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last mentioned the prisoners in several statements during his talks at the National Assembly. During a press conference on March 12, in response to a question from "Hay-Zhoghovurd" about prisoners, Nikol Pashinyan noted that he had discussions that very day in the morning, but he did not specify with whom or what they were about.

Ararat Mirzoyan, the Armenian Foreign Minister, mentioned the prisoners during the annual summary report of 2023. "Hay-Zhoghovurd" newspaper attempted to break the silence of the responsible authorities by seeking answers to specific questions. We directly asked Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan: "Mr. Mirzoyan, both you and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have repeatedly stated publicly that daily work is being done regarding the return of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan. Despite this, there seems to be no visible progress; in recent times, there has not even been any mention of this issue, not even in official communications. Is the issue still on the agenda, and what steps are being taken in the international arena for the return of the 23 Armenian prisoners held in Baku and the leadership of Artsakh? Is there a need for public actions and measures so that international partners or international human rights organizations can support the official statements from Yerevan and give wider resonance to the issue? Is the issue of the return of prisoners included in the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and the context of the peace agreement?"

According to the law on freedom of information, we received the following general response to our extensive questions made within the established timeframe. "In response to your inquiry, we inform you that the issue of the release of Armenian military prisoners and politically imprisoned persons illegally held by Azerbaijan is an urgent humanitarian question of priority for the Armenian side, and work is continuously being carried out in this direction," the letter states. No specifics.

The authorities appear to be at a standstill regarding the resolution of this purportedly high-priority issue. Not having taken any concrete steps, particularly Nikol Pashinyan hinted in the National Assembly session on June 12 that the demand for the leadership of Artsakh being held in Baku is a requirement: 'They should rot in prisons.' This critical issue seems to be last on the government's agenda, and no solutions or clear actions are being taken.