Exhibition dedicated to 19 Armenians held hostage in Azerbaijan opens  in Paris

ArmInfo. An exhibition dedicated to the 19 Armenian political prisoners held hostage in Azerbaijan opened in Paris on August 31. The exhibition, which opened in the center of the French capital, will run until September 4. The initiative was sponsored by the Paris Municipality and the  Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF).

According to the ARF statement, the purpose of the event is to remind  people that the violence and forced deportation used by Azerbaijan  against the Armenians of Artsakh have been accompanied by the arrests  of Artsakh's political leadership. Today, 19 Armenians remain held in  Azerbaijani prisons.

"The 19 portraits presented today in Paris are more than just the  faces of prisoners. They are living testaments to the history of  Artsakh, its political life, and the rights of its people. The  exhibition also reminds us of the right of Artsakh Armenians to  return to their homeland. It is worth noting that, on November 17,  2023, the International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to ensure  the safe, unhindered, and speedy return of those forcibly displaced  from Artsakh. This legal obligation remains on paper to this day,"  said Murad Papazian, Co-Chair of the Coordinating Council of Armenian  Organizations in France.

In turn, Ara Toranian, Co-Chair of the Coordinating Council of  Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF), noted that nineteen faces,  nineteen destinies, and one common demand: freedom. "Until the  Armenian captives are free, their faces will continue to remind the  world that justice cannot be replaced by oblivion, nor human freedom  by political agreements," Toranian said.

"By placing portraits of Armenian captives on the City Hall building,  the French capital wants to draw public attention to their fate. This  initiative by Paris is not an isolated incident. For many years, the  French capital has consistently expressed its support for the  Armenians of Artsakh," reads a statement received by ArmInfo.

Back in 2020, the Paris City Council called on the French government  to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh. In 2023,  during the blockade of Artsakh and increasing Azerbaijani pressure on  the Armenian population, Paris initiated humanitarian aid, and a  delegation led by Mayor Anne Hidalgo personally visited Armenia,  reaching the Hakari Bridge to support the besieged Armenians of  Artsakh. In November of that year, the Paris City Council unanimously  granted the residents of Artsakh the status of honorary citizens of  Paris, reaffirming the city's political, moral, and humanitarian  solidarity.

Paris's position is fully consistent with the growing engagement of  French state and local authorities. On February 3, 2026, the French  National Assembly adopted a resolution demanding the release of  Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan. In July of the same year, the  Parliament of Corsica adopted a resolution entitled "Support for  Artsakh and the release of Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan."

Earlier, in December 2025, the Nice municipality also placed  portraits of Armenian hostages on the facade of the city hall,  demanding their immediate release. The European Parliament, which has  repeatedly demanded the release of Armenians from Baku, is not immune  to similar developments. In its resolution of April 2, 2025, it  demanded the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and emphasized  the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to a safe, unhindered, and  dignified return.

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 Davit Babayan; as well as  Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan; former Commander-in- Chief of  the Artsakh Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan; General David  Manukyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

In February, a Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit  Babayan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to  life imprisonment on trumped-up charges, and Bako Sahakyan, Arkady  Ghukasyan, and Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison. The so-called  court sentenced the remaining Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in  prison.