A meeting took place, Armenian foreign ministry representatives were present, not at the political level, as well as representatives from the commission on prisoners and missing persons. Lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, head of the “International and Comparative Law Center” NGO and representative of Armenian prisoners of war before the European Court of Human Rights, told this to a press conference Friday, and referring to the fact that Veronika Zonabend—the wife of former Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) state minister and well-known businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan who is being held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan—had expressed a wish to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, or members of another authorized body in order to travel to Baku.

"We have discussed many issues, but there are two issues of top importance: one is the creation of opportunities for visits [to Baku] in the conditions of the suspension of the Red Cross activities [in Azerbaijan], the provision of consular services by Armenia to our compatriots in Baku through a third country. And the second [is] the implementation of humanitarian initiatives.

At this moment, we have made a specific proposal. Ms. Zonabend wants to take a group of human rights activist women to the Republic of Azerbaijan, and also, under the auspices of the Azerbaijani Human Rights Defender, be able to enter the closed institution where Armenians are held, and transfer personal belongings, photos, letters to them.

We have asked the Republic of Armenia to express a clear position on whether such an initiative can also receive state support, whether the Republic of Armenia can coordinate the visit, since this cannot remain a private initiative. Azerbaijan can issue an entry permit through a special mechanism. On the other hand, there are security issues.

And thirdly, even if they arrive in Azerbaijan, entry to closed institutions is strictly regulated, and without the prior consent of the Azerbaijani authorities, it will not be physically possible to enter the penitentiary institution where all Armenians are currently held.

We do not have an official answer yet, the matter is under discussion, we expect that the Republic of Armenia will form a position as soon as possible," added Siranush Sahakyan.