Beglaryan urges strong intl pressure for Armenian captives' release

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former State Minister and Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh, and president of the Artsakh Union, Artak Beglaryan, visited London from March 16 to 18 at the invitation of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the UK and Ireland. During his visit, he held multiple meetings with British political and religious figures, as well as members of the local Armenian community.

At the initiative of Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the leader of the diocese, Beglaryan met with several British religious leaders. Additionally, he held discussions at the House of Lords, meeting with Jessica Morden, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Armenia, Baroness Caroline Cox, and other British parliamentarians. The UK Armenian National Committee also contributed to organizing these meetings.

During these discussions, Beglaryan detailed the dire conditions of Armenian captives, emphasizing the urgent need for their release. He stressed that strong international pressure is essential to halt Azerbaijan’s sham trials and torture of Armenian detainees. He also presented evidence of genocide, forced displacement, and the destruction of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage by Azerbaijani authorities, underscoring the necessity of securing the collective right of Artsakh Armenians to return to their homeland.

Under the leadership of Bishop Hovakim, Beglaryan also met with members of the British Armenian community. In addition to discussing the situation of Artsakh’s people and Armenian captives, the meetings focused on potential collaborations and joint initiatives. At the conclusion of his visit, Beglaryan expressed gratitude to Bishop Hovakim for his unwavering efforts in defending the rights of the Artsakh people and for organizing the visit.

Earlier, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasizing that it continues to draw international attention to the issue of Armenian prisoners of war, hostages, and other detainees in Azerbaijan, as well as the sham trials marred by severe procedural violations and clear signs of torture.