Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia has raised the issue of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan during a meeting with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. The meeting took place in Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of an international interfaith summit.
Aram I stated that the Armenian people would be deeply grateful if President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill intervened with Azerbaijani authorities to protect the religious and cultural heritage of Artsakh and to secure the swift release of Armenian prisoners.
The Catholicosate of Cilicia reported this appeal in an official statement.
The meeting also touched on prospects for developing historic ties between the Armenian and Russian churches.
Also in attendance was Archbishop Mesrop Sarkissian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the surrounding region.
The event was part of the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Kazakhstan.
In September 2023, following a nine-month blockade and the ethnic cleansing of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh, Azerbaijani authorities captured former Artsakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, along with former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, foreign minister Davit Babayan, and other former officials. They face fabricated charges that could lead to life imprisonment. The show trial began in Baku on January 17.
