Paris Exhibition Highlights the Fate of 19 Armenian Prisoners Held in Azerbaijan
An exhibition dedicated to 19 Armenian prisoners currently held in Azerbaijan has opened in the heart of Paris and will run from August 31 through September 4.
Organized at the initiative of the City of Paris and the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), the exhibition features portraits of the 19 detainees displayed on the Paris City Hall building, drawing public attention to their continued imprisonment and individual stories.
The initiative comes amid continued calls in France for the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan. On February 3, 2026, the French National Assembly adopted a resolution calling for their release. In July, the Corsican Assembly also adopted a resolution expressing support for Artsakh and calling for the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
Paris has repeatedly expressed support for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in recent years. During the 2023 blockade, the city organized humanitarian assistance, while a delegation led by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo traveled to Armenia and reached the Hakari Bridge in an effort to draw attention to the humanitarian situation.
“The 19 portraits displayed today in Paris are not simply the faces of prisoners. They are living witnesses to the history of Nagorno-Karabakh, its political life and the rights of its people,” said Mourad Papazian, Co-President of CCAF.
The exhibition also draws attention to the right of displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homeland.
