RPA, ARF reps hold protest, draw attention of CE Commissioner for  Human Rights to political prisoners in Armenia and Armenian captives  in Baku

ArmInfo.  Representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) held a protest in front of the Armenian parliament  building to draw the attention of international organizations to the  problem of political prisoners in the country, including  representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), and the fate  of Armenians illegally detained in Baku prisons.

The protest took place against the backdrop of the arrival of Council  of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty at the  National Assembly of Armenia. Participants held posters depicting  both political prisoners and Armenian prisoners of war held in  Azerbaijan and chanted "Freedom."

The protesters called on European institutions to avoid double  standards and to provide a clear assessment of the situation in  Armenia, as well as to not encourage the country's authorities to  engage in further repression. The demonstrators expressed their  dissatisfaction with the silence of European institutions regarding  the violation of universal human rights and called on all responsible  structures and officials who ignore the situation in Armenia and  Azerbaijan to demand the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners  of conscience illegally held in both countries.

Henrikh Danielyan, head of the RPA youth wing, told reporters that  the goal of the protest is to draw the attention of European  institutions to justice issues and to end their silence and selective  justice. He emphasized that the current situation is at odds with the  democratic principles they so actively promote.  "We are here to  express our support for the Armenian Church and political prisoners.  We are confident that justice will be restored," he said.

In turn, Artsakh National Assembly Member Metaxe Hakobyan emphasized  that human rights have become a bargaining chip. She reminded  high-ranking representatives of international human rights  organizations of their mission and that every visit must be followed  by action. "There are people in Armenia who are political prisoners  due to their disagreement with the authorities' illegal policies. Our  compatriots are in Baku prisons. The silence of international  organizations in this situation is not neutrality, but complicity.  Human rights should not be selective. We are not here to call for,  but to demand: freedom for all political prisoners and Armenian  prisoners of war held in Baku," Hakobyan concluded.

At least nineteen Armenian prisoners of war remain in illegal  detention in Azerbaijan, where they continue to be subjected to  torture and abuse. They include eight former Nagorno-Karabakh  officials: former State Minister (2022-2023) Ruben Vardanyan; former  President (2020-2023) Arayik Harutyunyan; former President  (2007-2020) Bako Sahakyan; former President (1997-2007) Arkady  Ghukasyan; Speaker of the National Assembly Davit Ishkhanyan; former  Foreign Minister Davit Babayan; former Defense Minister Levon  Mnatsakanyan; and former Deputy Defense Minister Davit Manukyan.

Today, the Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit  Babayan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to  life imprisonment, and Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan to 20 years  in prison on trumped-up charges.

On November 26, 2025, the head of the "I Have the Honor" faction,  Hayk Mamijanyan, stated that there are already approximately 40  political prisoners in Armenia. Many of them were arrested for  political reasons, including for their stance in defense of the  Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), which is under attack by the  Armenian authorities. Among them are clergy.