US President interested in release of Armenian prisoners of war as part of peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan- lawyer

ArmInfo. US President's National Security Advisor Michael Waltz in a conversation with the National Security Advisor of Azerbaijan made it clear that US President Donald Trump would like to see the release of Armenian prisoners as part of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to a message received by ArmInfo, Jared Genser, International Legal Advisor on Legal Issues of the former Minister of State of Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan, stated this in an interview with the famous American host and lawyer Hugh Hewitt.

Vardanyan's lawyer also mentioned that US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff  had visited Azerbaijan to discuss various bilateral issues, and to call for the release of the Armenian military-political leadership. "It is my understanding that the Trump administration is now looking for ways to send some strong political signals  that will make it clear to the President of Azerbaijan that the release of prisoners must take place," Jared Genser said.

In turn, Ruben Vardanyan's son, David Vardanyan, noted that since his father's arrest in September 2023, no family member has been able to see him in person. According to him, the only means of communication were short phone calls. He also stated that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) used to visit the prisoners, but earlier this year Azerbaijan closed the offices of many international organizations, including the ICRC, which further isolated the captives. "It is very important for the audience to understand the situation we are dealing with. According to reports from various international organizations, including Freedom House, Azerbaijan is considered an unfree country and is considered one of the most closed authoritarian regimes. To demonstrate the severity of the isolation, I will note that our lawyer Jared, who has been working with our team since late 2024, has not had the opportunity not only to visit my father, but also to talk to him or to get acquainted with the case materials. All this is happening in conditions of complete isolation and violations of international norms and laws, which is a matter of serious concern for us," David Vardanyan stated.