Azerbaijani Activist Appeals to Nikol Pashinyan from Baku Prison

Azerbaijani researcher and peace activist Bahruz Samadov has addressed a letter to the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. The letter has been made available to Factor TV, which publishes it in full. An excerpt from a poem is attached to the letter.

“Dear Prime Minister, I sincerely ask you to continue to adhere to the path of peace, to do everything possible to prevent ceasefire violations at the border, and to take practical steps towards making the possibility of future coexistence a reality. For lasting peace, both sides must establish values based on a common geography and the idea of a shared future. At the core of these values must be the categorical rejection of violence. Additionally, I respectfully ask you to publish an official and justified statement that I have never had any collaboration with the external intelligence services of Armenia. I hope that new communications between the parties in the near future will lead to my release and will terminate my status as a 'prisoner of peace.' For peace to be achieved, both sides must renounce territorial claims and focus on models of coexistence and friendship during the post-conflict period. I would like to conclude my letter with a poem by Charles Baudelaire: In the waves of waters, wipe your deadly shades. There is much reed, the rock is vast. Let each engrave their flute without violence, Without blood, war, and deadly deceit. Be brothers, live side by side, And all of you united, smoke the sacred flute of Peace.

Respectfully, Bahruz Samadov

It should be noted that Bahruz Samadov has been imprisoned since August 2024 on charges of state treason. He is known for his calls for peace and for criticizing Azerbaijan's military apparatus on various Western platforms; he was arrested on accusations of espionage in favor of Armenians. If found guilty, the 29-year-old activist faces a life sentence. He has appealed to the Prime Minister of Armenia, asking for a denial of any collaboration with Armenia's external intelligence services.