The head of the Artsakh Union handed over more than 1,000 letters addressed to Armenian prisoners of war to the Armenian government

ArmInfo. Artak Beglaryan, head of the Artsakh Union and former State Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), handed over 1,254 letters addressed to Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku to the Armenian government.

In a conversation with journalists outside the Armenian government building, Beglaryan said that these letters were collected by Veronika Zonabend, wife of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, as part of her initiative to visit Armenian prisoners of war. As the head of the Artsakh Union recalled, Zonabend approached the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia to organize such a trip. However, as Beglaryan noted, the Azerbaijani side did not respond to the initiative, and the Armenian government did not provide the necessary support. "As a result, seeing that this initiative cannot yet be implemented because neither government is taking the necessary actions, we, having received Veronika Zonabend's consent, and in particular the Artsakh Union, decided that these letters should be handed over to the Armenian government. It has obligations to the citizens of Armenia, particularly to the prisoners, both in terms of protecting their rights and, above all, ensuring their return," Beglaryan noted. He explained that the letters were collected from various countries around the world. Their authors are both Armenians and foreigners. "We believe that if the Armenian government does not support the initiative to visit prisoners in Baku, then it is at least obligated to hand over these letters to our prisoners. They should know that they are not alone and that sooner or later they will return to their families. "The Armenian government must use all available means to deliver the letters, particularly through negotiations with representatives of the Azerbaijani government or through third parties," Beglaryan stated, adding that greater involvement of the Armenian government in this issue can be achieved through broad public pressure.

After handing over the box of letters, Beglaryan explained that, according to Armenian law, a response to an appeal must be provided within one month. He said they requested a written response. "We will await the government's response. However, we still have a lot of effort to ensure that all of this actually reaches the right place. I believe that all possible mechanisms must be used to gain access to the prisoners, deliver their letters, and obtain information from them, which will serve as an additional guarantee for us to protect their rights," the head of the Artsakh Union concluded.

It should be noted 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.