Armenia pursues “quiet diplomacy” for prisoners’ return

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian government continues quiet diplomatic work to secure the release of Armenians held in Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a speech at the European Parliament plenary session.

“Recently Azerbaijan released four more of our compatriots. Armenian society, all of us, felt great joy on that occasion. But the government very quickly returned to continuing quiet diplomatic work for the return of the others, because I am convinced that if we had not previously chosen the style of quiet diplomacy, the return of our four compatriots on January 14 would not have happened,” Pashinyan said, Armenpress reports.

Azerbaijan continues to hold 19 Armenian prisoners, including representatives of the former military and political leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh. They have been sentenced to prison terms following trials in Azerbaijan based on what Armenian authorities describe as fabricated criminal cases.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, former foreign minister Davit Babayan, former commander of the Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, former deputy commander Davit Manukyan and former parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan have been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan received 19-year sentences.

Davit Allahverdyan was sentenced to 16 years in prison, Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan and Vasily Beglaryan to 15 years each, and Garik Martirosyan to 18 years.

On January 14, Azerbaijan returned four prisoners to Armenia — Davit Davtyan, Gevorg Sujyan, Vicken Euljeckjian and Vagif Khachatryan. Azerbaijan had earlier officially confirmed that it was holding 23 Armenian prisoners.