
ArmInfo. Below is a statement by the Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom (ANC-UK)
"Today marks 1,000 days since Armenian prisoners of war, civilian hostages and the political leadership of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) were taken into Azerbaijani captivity.
"At least 19 Armenians remain unlawfully detained in Azerbaijan, including Artsakh leaders Ruben Vardanyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan and Davit Manukyan.
"Their captivity is not an isolated injustice. It is part of Azerbaijan's wider campaign against the Armenian people of Artsakh: war, genocidal blockade, forced displacement, ethnic cleansing and the attempted erasure of Armenian political, cultural and religious presence from Artsakh. These prisoners and hostages are being used to send a message to an entire displaced population: that return, dignity and justice will be punished.
"The Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh has the right to return safely, collectively and with international guarantees to its ancestral homeland.
"After 1,000 days, Azerbaijan's hostage-taking remains a standing indictment of its crimes against Armenians and of the world's failure to confront them."
The exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in Azerbaijani prisons remains unknown. Experts estimate the number to be several hundred. Today, Azerbaijani authorities confirm the presence of 19 Armenians in their custody. Among those held in Azerbaijani captivity are eight former and current members of the military-political leadership of Artsakh. These include former Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan; former Foreign Minister David Babayan; as well as Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan; former Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan; General David Manukyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.
In February 2026, the Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to life imprisonment, and Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison on trumped-up charges. The so-called court sentenced the remaining Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in prison.