All our efforts are aimed at ensuring that our compatriots who are illegally held in Baku, the tortures carried out against them, are stopped without delay, the people can return to their homes, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan, who is participating in the protest outside the UN office in Armenia—and with a demand for the release of the Armenians being held captive in Azerbaijan—, told this to reporters.

According to Stepanyan, such protests cause skepticism among many people as to whether they can achieve any results.

"I want to say the following: at least it is better to continue the struggle than inaction, and to draw the attention of Armenia’s authorities and international organizations, including the UN, to this important, absolutely humanitarian issue, generating as much international pressure as possible to achieve the release and repatriation of our compatriots," Stepanyan said.

According to him, Thursday’s message by the former Minister of State of Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan, came to once again confirm what the human rights community has been talking about all this time: this cannot be considered a legal process in any way, basic human rights are not protected, and people are tortured in the prisons of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

"The international community will not do anything until clearly worded demands are presented by the Armenia’s authorities and [Armenian] diaspora organizations. Only then will international pressure on Azerbaijan increase," Stepanyan said.

He added that although Armenia’s authorities declare that they are always addressing this issue in the negotiation process, at least these efforts are not visible.

"My impression is that there is a need for greater efforts, at least at the political level. As for [the] legal [level], yes, there are processes," said Stepanyan.

And in connection with the appeal of the Baku prosecutor's office to Armenia’s authorities for cooperation, he said: "It is another manifestation of the illegal policy being conducted by Baku. I consider it absurd in general. Hope, in some sense, we also have confidence that something like this cannot happen."

As reported earlier, the “trial” of 15 of the 23 Armenians held captive in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, will start today in a Baku court.