A NEWS.am interview with Siranush Sahakyan, representative of the interests of Armenian prisoners of war and detainees before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Ms. Sahakyan, Yerevan is currently hosting the United Nations (UN) Biodiversity Conference (COP 17), with top officials attending the Leaders’ Summit, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Ignacio Cassis. These are key international figures with whom a crucial humanitarian issue, the fate of Armenian captives held in Baku, could have been discussed, yet it was brought up solely by the media. Was this not another missed international platform to draw imperative attention to the issue of the captives?
You are entirely correct. The humanitarian issue should have been a high-priority item on the agenda during meetings with both UN Secretary-General António Guterres and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ignacio Cassis. Perhaps it was discussed behind closed doors. However, I observed no mention of it in official press releases.
Curiously, in addressing the question regarding Armenian captives, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the parties to implement all provisions of the peace agreement as swiftly as possible. His response created the impression that he believes the peace agreement includes a specific clause on the release of captives when, as we know, no such provision exists in the document. Had the issue of the captives been addressed during private meetings, I believe he would have been better informed that the agreement contains no such clause, which might well have led him to issue a different statement.
International platforms of this scale offer host countries an invaluable opportunity to raise issues of paramount concern. Therefore, when such pressing humanitarian matters are omitted, it signifies yet another squandered opportunity.
A few days ago, Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ararat Mirzoyan, stated that, regarding visits to the Armenian captives held in Baku, the Ministry appealed to third countries about a year ago, but there has been no positive outcome — or at least, according to the Minister, no positive response was received from those third parties. What is your perspective on this?
If you recall, in March of last year, more than 40 Armenian non-governmental organizations petitioned the President of the Swiss Confederation, requesting Switzerland to act as a neutral mediator and ensure consular access for all Armenian captives held in Baku.
In response, we received official communication from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs stating that Switzerland stood ready to offer its good offices, provided both parties involved formally submitted a corresponding request.
Addressing this matter on October 21, Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that they had appealed to third countries, which “either refused or advised us to keep our distance.”
From this framing, it becomes clear that the primary obstacle remains Azerbaijan’s stance, which prevents the effective protection of the rights of Armenian captives and the establishment of necessary international guarantees. Nevertheless, based on the information provided by the Minister, it remains unclear precisely which countries Armenia approached.
Greater transparency and specific detail would enable non-governmental organizations and human rights advocates to leverage their international partners in support of Armenia’s diplomatic efforts, thereby encouraging more active engagement from third countries and working to overcome the barriers erected by Azerbaijan.
I am convinced that aligning the efforts of state institutions, civil society, and international partners can create new opportunities. We are all united by the same objective: to safeguard the rights of our compatriots held in Baku, to maintain regular humanitarian contact with them, and, ultimately, to secure their release.
Ms. Sahakyan, in August, you and Veronika Zonabend — the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently detained in Baku — held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a previous interview with us, you mentioned raising several humanitarian issues concerning the conditions of detention, including support for the initiative of an international women's humanitarian mission to Baku. Have you received a response, and if so, what details can you share?
Yes. On August 17, Veronika Zonabend and I met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Interdepartmental Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons to discuss the condition of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan.
We presented detailed information regarding their detention conditions and other humanitarian concerns, while also addressing Ms. Zonabend’s initiative regarding the objectives and potential support for a humanitarian mission. Subsequently, we submitted formal written inquiries to both bodies, anticipating an official response.
Regrettably, I have nothing new to report. The statutory deadlines for a response have expired, yet we have received no reply, despite assurances from meeting participants that this issue was a matter of top priority and high on their agenda.
We must unequivocally state one fundamental truth: there must be no delay in humanitarian matters. The Armenian captives in Baku remain in complete isolation; representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross last visited them nearly a year ago, in December of 2025. The reports received from their families are deeply alarming, and I do not believe that relegating this issue to silence is an effective strategy in this situation.
Furthermore, out of respect for the families of the captives, we must recognize that as long as their loved ones are unlawfully detained in Azerbaijani prison, these families have every right to demand effective measures for their release. The state has a positive obligation to protect its citizens, and the government is duty-bound to not only answer the letters of the captives’ relatives, but also proactively initiate these meetings itself.