Families of Armenian prisoners held in Baku address open letter to  Canadian Premier

ArmInfo.  The families of Armenian prisoners held in Baku have addressed an open letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney requesting that Canada's Senior Official  for Hostage Affairs be engaged in the case of Armenian prisoners and  to support efforts for their immediate and unconditional release. 

The full text of the letter is presented below.

Dear Prime Minister Carney,

We, the families of Armenian prisoners held in Baku, warmly welcome  your historic visit to Armenia for the 8th European Political  Community Summit. We hope your presence will further strengthen  Canada- Armenia relations and contribute to peace, security, and  stability in the region.

We write to draw your attention to an urgent humanitarian issue: the  continued arbitrary detention of our loved ones - 19 Armenian  prisoners currently held in Azerbaijan. Despite repeated calls by  international bodies, including the European Parliament, for their  immediate and unconditional release, Azerbaijan continues to  unlawfully detain them, prolonging the suffering of their families  and undermining confidence in the peace process.

Canada has shown principled leadership in combating arbitrary  detention and hostage diplomacy. Through the establishment of the  Senior Official for Hostage Affairs and its leadership of the  Declaration against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations,  Canada has affirmed that human beings must not be used as instruments  of political leverage between States. We respectfully submit that the  situation of our loved ones falls squarely within the spirit and  purpose of these commitments.

Our concerns are deepened by the conditions of their detention and  the serious human rights violations documented by international  actors. Proceedings against them have been widely criticized as  incompatible with fair-trial guarantees. Azerbaijani officials have  made statements suggesting no intention to release former officials  of Nagorno-Karabakh. The closure of the International Committee of  the Red Cross's physical presence in Azerbaijan has further deprived  our families of regular, independent verification of their wellbeing.

Canada's own experience gives particular moral weight to this appeal.  Canada has recognized, through its own reconciliation process, that  durable peace cannot be built on denial, silence, or unresolved harm,  but must rest on truth, recognition of rights, respect, cooperation,  and partnership. The same principle applies here: a peace that leaves  human beings arbitrarily detained and families in anguish cannot be  credible, durable, or just.

Prime Minister, your address at Davos articulated a vision of  "value-based realism" - principled, pragmatic, and grounded in human  rights, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the rule of law. You  invoked Vaclav Havel's warning against "living within a lie." The  continued detention of Armenian prisoners in Baku is precisely such a  reality that must be named honestly and addressed with resolve.

We respectfully request that you engage Canada's Senior Official for  Hostage Affairs to address the case of Armenian prisoners held in  Baku and support efforts for their immediate and unconditional  release. We also ask Canada to use its voice, diplomatic channels,  and partnerships, including with the European Union, the United  States, and other endorsers of the Declaration against Arbitrary  Detention, to coordinate pressure on Azerbaijan.

For the Armenian public, Azerbaijan's commitments to peace cannot be  credible while Armenian prisoners remain in captivity. Their release  and repatriation are indispensable to any genuine peace process and  constitute a vital confidence-building measure.

Your visit to Yerevan presents an important opportunity to  demonstrate that Canada's commitment to ending arbitrary detention is  not only declaratory, but operational. We respectfully urge you to  meet with affected families, hear directly from us, and raise the  issue of Armenian prisoners in your engagements with international  leaders.

We firmly believe that Canada can play a principled and constructive  role in ending the suffering of our families. We thank you for your  attention to this urgent humanitarian matter and respectfully look  forward to Canada's support in securing the release and safe return  of our loved ones>.

The exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in  Azerbaijani prisons remains unknown. Experts estimate the number to  be several hundred. Currently, Azerbaijani authorities confirm the  presence of 19 Armenians in their custody. Among those held in  Azerbaijani captivity are eight former and current members of the  military-political leadership of Artsakh. These include former  Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik  Harutyunyan; former Foreign Minister David Babayan; as well as  Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan; former Commander of the Artsakh  Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan; General David Manukyan; and  former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

In February, a Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David  Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to  life imprisonment, and Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Ruben  Vardanyan to 20 years in prison on trumped-up charges. The so-called  court sentenced the remaining Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in  prison.