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 Friday, February 6 2026 10:30
Marianna Mkrtchyan

All Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan must be immediately  released, Artsakh State Minister says

All Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan must be immediately  released, Artsakh State Minister says

ArmInfo. All Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan must be immediately released, Artsakh State Minister Nzhdeh Iskandaryan stated.

He noted that on February 4, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan  and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received the 2026 Zayed Award  for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. Numerous international leaders and  distinguished guests attended the event. "A bright hall, smiles,  magnificent speeches. And today, in Baku, the former presidents and  military-political leaders of Artsakh are being tried - a reality  that stands in stark contrast to the celebratory image. The world  sees the light of a formal peace, but the reality is obvious: we are  under pressure, our history is being hushed up, and they are trying  to replace the truth with lies and formalities. All hostages must be  released immediately," Iskandaryan wrote on his Facebook page.

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.

Today, the Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David  Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to  life imprisonment, and Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan 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. The verdict  has not yet been announced for philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, whose  case has been separated into separate proceedings.  

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