The Promise Institute for Human Rights will host a discussion on the issue of Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku

ArmInfo. On September 24, The Promise Institute for Human Rights at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will host a discussion on the issue of Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku. The Free Armenian Prisoners initiative press service told ArmInfo.

The discussion will include a meeting with human rights activist Siranush Sahakyan, who represents the interests of Armenian prisoners. During the discussion, titled "Azerbaijani Cases against the Civilian Leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh: An Insider's View," Sahakyan will present a legal analysis of the trials being conducted in Baku against Armenians. In particular, the expert will address the question of whether participation in the civil, political, or administrative structures of an unrecognized entity can in itself be considered a crime in the absence of evidence of specific illegal actions," the initiative reported.

Furthermore, according to the source, the question of whether the fact that a territory is unrecognized can legally transform ordinary civil or public activity into a criminal offense will be discussed. The discussion will be moderated by Hadar Harris, Executive Director of The Promise Institute for Human Rights in Los Angeles.

You can register for the event at the following link: https://www.international.ucla.edu/armenia/event/17773.

It is worth noting that the exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in Azerbaijani prisons is still unknown. Experts estimate there are 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 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, David Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David 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.

It should be added that on September 9, Artsakh Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan sent another address from prison in Baku, in which he touched on the activities of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ombudsmen and called on the Armenian authorities to have at least a modicum of dignity.