Release Armenian Hostages, End the Genocide: Ocampo

Former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, believes that the issue of releasing Armenians imprisoned in Azerbaijan should be on the agenda and part of discussions during the COP29 summit scheduled to take place in Baku in November.

Ocampo's primary message is clear: “Release Armenian hostages, end the genocide.”

“The people who are now in prisons in Baku were simply the leaders of Artsakh. It is sad, but it resembles what happened in 1915 because at that time the primary mission of the Turks was the elimination of Armenian leaders. This is the same as what happened in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Ocampo emphasized, reaffirming his point that the release of former political-military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh should be on COP29's agenda and a part of the discussions.

He noted that Armenians detained in Baku are hostages, not prisoners of war. He stressed the importance that participants at the summit do not ignore the plight of Armenians imprisoned in Baku, while simultaneously expressing hope that Armenian captives will be released before the summit.

Ocampo made these statements during a press conference, sending a message to participants and decision-makers at the COP29 summit.