Despite the lack of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, what can Armenia do to help secure the release of the Armenian Christian political prisoners and POWs in Azerbaijan?
Many people have asked how Armenia can help secure the release of these Armenian Christians detained in Azerbaijan given there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In fact, there is much more that can be done by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan:
- Public Statements and Public Diplomacy.
Prime Minister Pashinyan can build off the statements of the Foreign Minister and Foreign Ministry and issue a public statement that says that the release of the political prisoners and POWs by Azerbaijan is a top priority, that their detentions are politically-motivated, and they must be immediately and unconditionally released. And the Prime Minister could hold a press conference to discuss all these issues, publish an op-ed in a major paper, and speak out as major developments warrant.
- Assist the Families.
Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister could request to meet with the families of the political prisoners and POWs to show their solidarity with them. They could also ask the International Committee of the Red Cross and Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) to send trial monitors to the trials of Ruben Vardanyan and the others. They could also ask all their allies with embassies in Baku to send trial monitors as well. They could even ask Azerbaijan, despite the lack of diplomatic relations, to send Armenian Government observers to the trials.
- Engage with Azerbaijan.
Prime Minister Pashinyan could send a private envoy to Baku to seek to open a humanitarian channel to negotiate the release of the political prisoners and POWs. In addition, he could work with a like-minded government, such as Switzerland, to set up an Armenian Interests Section at their Embassy in Baku to represent Armenia’s interests in Azerbaijan. Even if the issue of political prisoners and POWs will not be part of a peace agreement, the Prime Minister could make clear privately that their release must occur before or contemporaneous with the finalization of the deal.
- Request Support of United States, France, and the European Union.
Prime Minister Pashinyan could ask President Trump and Secretary Rubio for their help, President Macron for his help, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas for her help in freeing the political prisoners and POWs.
- Continue and Expand Legal Cases.
The Government can continue to pursue its legal cases before the International Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights. It could also request the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary examination into the forced displacement into Armenia of the 120,000 Armenian Christian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Engage Global Religious Community.
The Government can appeal for help to address the clear persecution of the Armenian Christian community in line with President Trump’s call for action both for the 120,000 that were summarily expelled from Nagorno-Karabakh and the current Armenian political prisoners being held in Baku as a result of their ethnicity and religion.
- Engage Multilaterally
Prime Minister Pashinyan could appoint a special envoy to free persecuted Christians worldwide with a focus on working to secure the release of the political prisoners and POWs. He could join with 80 countries in the world and sign on to the Canadian-led Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations.
Prime Minister Pashinyan could ask UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk for help in securing the release of the prisoners and POWs on humanitarian grounds.
