Artsakh human rights activists calls on U.S. vice-preident to raise  issue of clarifying fate of missing persons in Baku and demand  release of all Armenian prisoners

ArmInfo. Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan and head of the Artsakh Union NGO Artak Beglaryan addressed an open letter to US Vice President J.D. Vance, calling on him to raise the issue of the missing persons during his visit to Baku and demand the release of all Armenian prisoners of war.

The joint letter, which was posted on Artak Beglaryan's Facebook  page, emphasizes that Vance's visit to Yerevan and Baku is taking  place at a crucial moment in the peace process between Armenia and  Azerbaijan, supported by US President Donald Trump. In this regard,  they expressed their conviction that the success of the Trump Pathway  for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and the Washington  summit in August 2025 largely depends on addressing deep humanitarian  trauma.

"While political agreements are being signed, hundreds of Armenian  families whose relatives went missing as a result of Azerbaijani  aggression in 2023, 2020 and 1990 continue to live in excruciating  uncertainty.  Baku's lack of cooperation on the issue of missing  persons is not just a secondary issue; it is a major source of  regional tension and a gross violation of the fundamental human right  to know the fate of their loved ones. Sustainable peace cannot be  built on a foundation of indifference to the "fate of the missing,"  the human rights activists emphasized. In this regard, they called on  the US administration to take a leading role in the following issues:  creating a neutral, fact-based mechanism to search for and identify  persons missing as a result of hostilities and the explosion at a  fuel depot near Stepanakert, as well as ensuring full transparency  and cooperation from Azerbaijan in the search and repatriation of  Armenians or their remains.  In addition, they demanded a clear  statement that Clarifying the fate of missing persons will be  considered a prerequisite for the full implementation of regional  projects.

They also noted that the need to clarify the situation of the missing  is exacerbated by the pressing issue of the 19 Armenians who remain  imprisoned in Baku. "Their continued detention in Azerbaijani  prisons, accompanied by sham trials and life sentences for the  military-political leadership of Artsakh, is a serious humanitarian  obstacle that must be overcome," the human rights activists assert.

According to them, ensuring the freedom of the illegally detained  Armenians is the simplest and most effective step the United States  can take to demonstrate that this peace process is based on justice,  not mere compromise. Specifically, they argue, this is a direct path  to strengthening public trust and creating conditions for the  Armenian people to believe in the peace program.

"Without these fundamental humanitarian steps, regional  infrastructure projects will lack the social foundation necessary for  long-term stability. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly  emphasized that true stability is achieved through strength and clear  moral commitment, particularly in the context of protecting  vulnerable populations and preserving religious heritage. Your  presence in the South Caucasus is a powerful signal that the United  States intends to take a leading role in mediating a final, just, and  dignified peace. We urge you to make the resolution of the issue of  missing persons and the release of all Armenian prisoners of war a  central topic of your discussions in Baku," the human rights  activists concluded.

As a reminder, Vance will be in Yerevan on February 9-10, after which  he will travel to Baku for meetings on February 10-11. The Armenian  government announced that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will meet  with the US Vice President this evening, after which they will make  press statements. It should be noted that the exact number of  Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in Azerbaijani prisons is  still unknown. Experts estimate the number to be several hundred.  Today, the Azerbaijani authorities confirm the presence of 19  Armenians in their custody. On February 5, 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 and Arkady Ghukasyan to 20 years in  prison.  The so-called court sentenced the remaining Artsakh  residents to up to 15 years in prison. So far, the verdict has not  been announced for philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, whose case has  been separated into a separate proceeding.

According to the latest data from the International Committee of the  Red Cross (ICRC) as of August 2024, approximately 1,000 people are  considered missing on the Armenian side, with approximately 300 of  these individuals being listed as missing following the latest  escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone between autumn 2020  and autumn 2023. All data was collected by the ICRC based on appeals  from relatives of the missing. The ICRC also reported that among  these 300 individuals, there are several dozen appeals concerning  cases where the family disagreed with the DNA data provided by the  state.