Armenia’s Representative on International Legal Matters, Karen Andreasyan, stated during a briefing in parliament that his predecessors had already carried out “tremendous work” regarding Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan, so there was little need for him to add to that initial effort.
According to Sputnik Armenia, Andreasyan emphasized that his current role is to ensure proper judicial follow-up on the matter of captives and missing persons as it is addressed in international legal forums.
“We must now wait for other processes to unfold, for example, decisions by the relevant international courts, developments in the peace process, and the major diplomatic efforts being undertaken by various institutions, including the Foreign Ministry and security services,” he said.
Baku has officially confirmed holding 23 Armenian citizens, 17 of whom were captured following Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive against Artsakh. Among them are former and current members of Artsakh’s military and political leadership, including former State Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, ex-Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former Deputy Commander Davit Manukyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, and former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan.
