June marks 1,000 days since Armenian prisoners of war, civilian hostages, and the political leadership of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) were taken into Azerbaijani captivity.
At least 19 Armenians remain unlawfully detained in Azerbaijan.
Their captivity is not an isolated injustice. It is part of Azerbaijan’s wider campaign against the Armenian people of Artsakh: war, genocidal blockade, forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, and the attempted erasure of Armenian political, cultural, and religious presence from Artsakh. These prisoners and hostages are being used to send a message to an entire displaced population: that return, dignity, and justice will be punished.
The Armenian population of the Republic of Artsakh has the right to return safely, collectively, and with international guarantees to its ancestral homeland. After 1,000 days, Azerbaijan’s hostage-taking remains a standing indictment of its crimes against Armenians and of the world’s failure to confront them.
#FreeArmenianHostages #FreeArmenianPrisoners
