Protest in Yerevan demands release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

YEREVAN—On January 17, 2025, several organizations from Artsakh held a public demonstration near the United Nations office in Yerevan, Armenia, demanding the release of Armenian prisoners of war. The date of the protest was not chosen randomly; it coincided with the commencement of illegal and superficial trials in Azerbaijan against 16 individuals detained on false charges. Among those on trial are former Armenian officials of the Republic of Artsakh, including former State Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, whose case is being examined separately, as well as former Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Arayik Harutyunyan and Bako Sahakyan and President of the National Assembly David Ishkhanyan. Other notable figures include David Alaverdyan, David Babayan, Madat Babayan, Leon Balayan, Vasil Beglaryan, Erik Ghazaryan, David Manukyan, Garik Martirosyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Melikset Pashayan and Gurgen Stepanyan. “I demand clear actions from the U.N. as outlined in its charter,” Larisa Alaverdyan, Armenia’s first human rights defender, said during the protest. Alaverdyan also expressed dissatisfaction with the Armenian authorities for their inaction. Armenia is obligated to protect state formations under non-independent governance, like the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh, she argued. As an example, Alaverdyan cited South Africa’s legal action against Israel in international courts. She stated that Armenia should have appealed to the U.N. and held Azerbaijan accountable; instead, the opposite has occurred. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed that there was no threat to the people of Artsakh as Azerbaijan was launching a large-scale attack targeting peaceful residents. Another speaker was former human rights defender of Artsakh, Artak Beglaryan, who stated, “In Baku, each of us is being convicted, humiliated and tortured, because those there represent our collective dignity.” He emphasized that “our Armenian hostages are there for all of us.” The protesters prepared a petition addressed to U.N. bodies, representatives of the Republic of Armenia and international organizations demanding the immediate release of the Armenian hostages. The petition called for immediate intervention to ensure their safety and highlighted the broader implications of these detentions for regional stability and human rights. It was presented by the representative of the “Youth Wing of Artsakh” public organization, who emphasized that international support is crucial in holding Azerbaijan accountable and protecting the rights of all detainees. Participants in the demonstration included representatives from various social and political organizations, family members of prisoners of war and concerned citizens. Following the protest, they marched towards the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where their demand remained consistent: tangible and clear actions should be taken to ensure the release of Armenian hostages. This was noted by Gegham Stepanyan, another former human rights defender of Artsakh. “I believe that after reading Ruben Vardanyan’s letter from Baku prison, no dignified Armenian can sit quietly and show inaction or fail to try to use all available means to ensure that our compatriots are released and repatriated,” Stepanyan said. The day before the protest, Vardanyan sent a message from prison, stating that he had not been given access to the official indictment and had only been allowed to skim through 422 volumes of the case files, all written in the Azerbaijani language. He has not provided testimony, and he says all protocols bearing his signature are falsifications. In the afternoon of January 17, members of the “Together” social-political movement also staged a protest in front of the Armenian government building. They called on PM Pashinyan to appeal to the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group to cancel the fabricated trials against Armenian prisoners and secure their release. They also demanded that the Minsk Group not be dissolved, even if an Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty is signed. One of the protesters, Kajik Harutyunyan, an artist displaced from Artsakh, expressed his deep outrage during an interview with the Weekly. He emphasized the need for the world to “open its eyes and ears to see what is happening here.” He stated that the international community has “bloodied hands” for its inaction regarding Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s aggressive policies. Harutyunyan stressed that the ongoing trials against Armenian detainees are a continuation of historical injustices that began with the massacres in Sumgait, Baku and Maragha in the 1980s and 1990s, which went unpunished during the final ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in 2023. “We have been left all alone,” Harutyunyan said. Lavrent Ghalayan, a painter displaced from Artsakh and fellow protester, shared similar concerns, directing his criticism toward Armenian leadership. He pointed to their apparent disconnect from the populace and their failure to address pressing issues. Ghalayan stated that these leaders bear responsibility for the current plight of Armenian hostages. Drawing on biblical wisdom, he urged leaders to “search within yourself,” highlighting the need for introspection among those in power. According to Azerbaijani state media, the court is set to review a total of 2,548 incidents. The Azerbaijani General Prosecutor’s Office has consolidated 1,389 criminal cases into one proceeding related to actions taken from October 1987 to April 2024. Baku accuses the leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic of “conducting aggressive warfare, genocide, mass killings, displacements, torture, violations of the laws of war and terrorism.” The fabricated trials will continue on January 27.

Protest in Yerevan demands release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan

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Siranush Sargsyan

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Siranush Sargsyan

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