We have a primary duty to protect the rights of our compatriots who are illegally held in Baku. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan, who is participating in the protest demanding the release of Armenian detainees in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, stated this in front of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Friday.

Stepanyan noted that what will happen or is happening in Baku today is happening to all Armenians.

"We have 23 confirmed captives in Baku. These people, their relatives expect that we should be united within the framework of this very important humanitarian issue," said Gegham Stepanyan.

He addressed his remarks to the Armenian MFA, noting: "I am sure that the people sitting in the MFA have read the letter of former Minister of State of Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan. I would like them to ask their own conscience and answer if they are doing everything to alleviate or eliminate the torture and cruelty that is happening with our compatriots in Baku prisons. I think that after reading that letter, any decent Armenian cannot sit quietly and show inaction, or not try in any way to achieve the release and repatriation of our compatriots through available and unavailable means."

According to the Artsakh ombudsman, the demand of the participants of this protest from the Armenian MFA is that visible, tangible clear steps are taken, all possible diplomatic and public methods are used in order to put this matter on the agenda of the international stage.

"We see how important an agenda issue the captives, hostages, missing persons becomes. But after September 19, 2023, we have not seen that activity from the authorities of Armenia, specifically from the MFA. Our call, exhortation is addressed to the MFA. It is: using all possible channels to put this matter on the agenda on a daily basis, to do everything possible in the negotiation process to ensure the return of our compatriots illegally detained in Baku without delay," said Gegham Stepanyan.

According to the Artsakh ombudsman, during the fake trials getting underway in Baku today, statements will be made on behalf of Armenian individuals, things will be attributed to them that they did not say, or things will be attributed to them that were extracted under the influence of certain circumstances.

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