Negotiations on release of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijani captivity underway in all formats, says Armenian parliament speaker

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YEREVAN, 9 September. /ARKA/. Negotiations and discussions on the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijani captivity are being held in all formats, in all possible platforms, Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan said today, adding that this issue is not included in the text of the draft peace treaty to be signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.br ‘This issue is included in the statement of 9 November, 2020 with Russia and Azerbaijan pledging to return the Armenian prisoners, but both failed to fulfill their obligations. Are Russia and Azerbaijan really preparing to withdraw their signatures from under the 9 November statement? This question is very important,’ he told reporters in parliament on Monday./divp

Asked whether the issue of prisoners' return can be considered as a precondition for Armenia's participation in the UN COP29 climate summit in Baku, Simonyan said it is too early to talk about such discussions./pp

Azerbaijan sent an invitation to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to participate in the COP 29 summit. Nothing is known about the Armenian authorities' decision at the moment./pp

About Armenian prisoners/pp

Officially Azerbaijan confirms that only 33 Armenian prisoners of war and civilians are being held, but Armenian human rights activists claim that there are about 80 more Armenians in Azerbaijani captivity./pp

Former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, ex-presidents Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan, ex-speaker of parliament David Ishkhanyan, ex-foreign minister David Babayan and former deputy commander of the Karabakh Defence Army David Manukyan have been held in an Azerbaijani prison since September 2023. Among those arrested are former President Arayik Harutyunyan and former Defence Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan. -0-/p