Latest posts
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Artsakh and Armenian Hostages in Azerbaijan on the Agenda During His Holiness Aram I’s Official Visit to the Vatican
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church Holy See of Cilicia, paid a four-day official visit to the Vatican, arriving on 17 May 2026. On 18 May 2026, His Holiness Aram I held a private meeting with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. During the meeting, Catholicos Aram I also discussed the issue of…
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Two-Month Delay Raises Questions Over Armenia’s Response to Armenian Hostages Held in Baku
NEWS.am received a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia regarding Armenian hostages held in Baku exactly two months after submitting its inquiry. Under Armenia’s Law on Freedom of Information, written inquiries must be answered within five days of receipt. The law further stipulates that “if additional work is required…
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ICJ: Trials of Armenians in Baku Do Not Meet Fair Trial Standards
In a new report issued on Monday, the International Commission of Jurists confirmed that the rights of Artsakh leaders who were tried by a military court in Baku were compromised and the court proceedings “fell short of the guarantees of fairness and equality of arms required under international human rights law.” The report entitled, “Justice Under Pressure:…
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The Issue of Armenian Prisoners Held in Baku Remains a Legal and Political Challenge
Siranush Sahakyan, the Director of the International and Comparative Law Center and the Armenia office of the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, addressed the ongoing developments related to the protection of the rights of Armenian prisoners and hostages held in Azerbaijan during a discussion held at the presentation of Karen Bekaryan’s book…
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Nikol Pashinyan Has Effectively Admitted Today That My Father Is a Hostage, Like the Others: Armen Ishkhanyan
“Today, Nikol Pashinyan effectively admitted that my father is a hostage, just like the others. In effect, Nikol Pashinyan admitted today that he is doing nothing,” Armen Ishkhanyan, the son of former Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, who was captured in September 2023, said in an interview with Pastinfo. It should be noted that…
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“This Is Not a Trial, This Is an Ethnopolitical Vendetta”: David Babayan Releases Message from Baku Prison
Former Foreign Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh David Babayan, who is being held in Azerbaijani captivity, has appealed to human rights defenders and people of goodwill around the world. The audio message was provided to NEWS.am by Babayan’s family. The full translation is presented below. Dear compatriots, Armenians throughout the world, people of goodwill everywhere, human rights…
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Emergency Housing Fund for Former Hostage Vicken Euljekjian
Vicken Euljekjian was kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces on November 10, 2020, during the Second Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh War, while a ceasefire was in effect. Independent monitoring of his detention was severely restricted for most of his captivity, undermining fundamental safeguards against torture. Following increasing restrictions on the ICRC’s access and its eventual withdrawal from Azerbaijan in 2025…
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Switzerland Responds to POWs’ Families’ Letter, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry Does Not
News.am On April 3, the relatives and representatives of Armenian prisoners unlawfully held in Azerbaijan sent a letter to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and to Ignazio Cassis, requesting the activation of the “Protecting Power” mechanism within the framework of international humanitarian law. “We express our deep concern regarding the complete closure of the International…
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“Hraparak”: What Is Preventing Azerbaijan’s Human Rights Ombudsperson from Inviting Anahit Manasyan to Baku Under International Guarantees?
Author: Hayk Gevorgyan “Hraparak” spoke with human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, the representative of Armenian prisoners of war before the European Court of Human Rights. — Ruben Vardanyan and Davit Ishkhanyan have sent messages from Baku prison, carrying rather bleak and desperate undertones. Vardanyan’s message makes it clear that the Armenian authorities are doing nothing…
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Statement by Ruben Vardanyan in Response to the Reply of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Anahit Manasyan
Vardanyan Steps Up Criticism Of Armenian Government Ruben Vardanyan, a prominent businessman remaining in Azerbaijani captivity along with at least 18 other Armenians, has stepped up his accusations that Armenia’s government is indifferent to the fate of the prisoners. Vardanyan, who held the second-highest post in Nagorno-Karabakh’s leadership from November 2022 to February 2023, also…