All Armenians Deprived of Freedom in Azerbaijan Must Be Released Immediately: Armenia's Human Rights Defender

“All Armenians deprived of freedom in Azerbaijan must be released immediately,” stated Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan during an episode of Public Radio’s program “Without Footnotes.”

In the discussion, Manasyan emphasized that she has consistently addressed this issue on her own initiative and without any applications, and she will continue to raise the matter using both public and non-public tools.

Regarding Ruben Vardanyan's announcement about visiting Azerbaijan, Anahit Manasyan highlighted the importance of clarifying the purpose of such visits, noting that it is impossible for the Human Rights Defender's Office to carry out ongoing monitoring in the territory of another state.

She stressed that the independence of the Human Rights Defender's institution cannot be contingent on satisfying the goals of political actors. According to the Defender, it is those actors who have neglected to fulfill international mandates that speak of independence.

She also informed that in 2025, the effectiveness of the activities of the Human Rights Defender’s Office has been high, with around 70 percent of the systemic proposals partially implemented or executed by state bodies.