Bishop Hovakim Manukyan of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, along with several other Christian leaders, sent a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 10 urging the UK Government to take action and call for the release of the Armenian prisoners illegally detained by Azerbaijan
“Following the forced displacement of 120,000 Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2023, Azerbaijan has arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned, and indicted based on fabricated charges, twenty-three Artsakh government officials and prisoners of war, as well as civilians”, explained the letter. “These individuals are now being tried in violation of all basic principles of a fair trial”.
“The United Kingdom has long been a champion of Human Rights and of the Rule of Law and it is for this reason that I write to you, Prime Minister, and ask you to take decisive action and call for the immediate release of the detainees. I, and the Armenian community of the United Kingdom and Ireland which I represent, ask you to urge Azerbaijan to comply with its international obligations”.
“Prime Minister, we entreat you to advocate for the rights of those unlawfully and unjustly imprisoned in Baku, Azerbaijan, and help ensure that each and everyone is returned safely to their homes and families in Armenia”.
The letter was signed by:
BISHOP HOVAKIM MANUKYAN Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland
ARCHBISHOP ANGAELOS Archbishop of London Coptic Orthodox Church and Papal Legate to the United Kingdom
METROPOLITAN NIKITAS, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain
RT REVD JAMES CURRY Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster
ARCHBISHOP ATHANASIUS TOMA Syriac Orthodox Archbishop in the UK
THE RT REVD CHRISTOPHER CHESSUN The Lord Bishop of Southwark
THE RT REVD NICHOLAS BAINES Bishop of Leeds
RIGHT REVEREND PHILIP MOUNSTEPHEN Bishop of Winchester
BISHOP MIKE ROYAL General Secretary, Churches Together in England