News - Newspaper: General response from Armenia MFA about prisoners

The "Zhoghovurd" (“People”) daily writes: "You will find publications about the Armenian prisoners on the internet only at the beginning of 2024.” Republic of Armenia (RA) Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned the prisoners for the last time in several statements and conversations of the RA National Assembly. At the press conference on March 12, Pashinyan, responding to the question posed by "Zhoghovurd" daily about the prisoners, mentioned that he had had conversations that very day, in the morning, but he did not say with whom and about what exactly. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan mentioned the prisoners during the 2023 annual summary report. "Zhoghovurd" daily, breaking the silence of those in charge, tried to obtain answers to specific questions. We asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan clearly: — Mr. Mirzoyan, both you and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have publicly stated several times that daily work is being done to return the Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan. Despite this, no work is visible. Recently, there is no mention of this issue, not even in official reports. — Is the issue still on the agenda, and what steps are being taken in the international arena for the return of the 23 Armenian prisoners held in Baku and the military-political leadership of Artsakh? — Is there not a need for some public steps and measures so that international partners or international human rights organizations, based on the official public statement of Yerevan, add their voices and give the issue a wider resonance? — Is the issue of the return of the prisoners included within the context of the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and peace treaty? — In accordance with the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Freedom of Information, we received the following general answer to the numerous questions formulated within the specified period: “In response to your inquiry, we inform you that the issue of the release of the Armenian prisoners of war and political persons illegally held hostage by Azerbaijan is an urgent humanitarian issue of priority for the Armenian side, for which work is constantly being done," the letter says.