Azerbaijan Returns Four Armenian Prisoners to Armenia

Azerbaijan has returned four Armenian prisoners to Armenia, according to official statements from Armenian authorities. The transfer took place a short time ago at the Hakari Bridge, where representatives of Azerbaijan’s relevant state bodies handed over the detainees to representatives of the Republic of Armenia. The four individuals are now on Armenian territory.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed the development and named the returned prisoners as Gevorg Sujyan, Davit Davtyan, Vigen Euljekjyan, and Vagif Khachatryan. According to the prime minister, initial medical checks show that Gevorg Sujyan, Davit Davtyan, and Vigen Euljekjyan do not have health problems. Vagif Khachatryan’s health condition has been initially assessed as satisfactory. The prime minister also stated that all four are being transported to Yerevan.

The issue of Armenians held in Azerbaijan has been a key topic in Armenia’s diplomatic efforts. On January 13, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan discussed this matter in Washington during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mirzoyan spoke about the meeting during an online press conference on January 14, where he said the sides discussed the situation of Armenians detained in Azerbaijan, as well as possible steps for U.S. mediation and support.

Mirzoyan noted that the talks covered both bilateral cooperation and cooperation stemming from the TRIPP framework. He also said that certain obstacles were discussed, which at present do not align with emerging peace trends in the region. The issue of individuals held in Azerbaijan was identified as one of those obstacles.

One of the returned prisoners, Vagif Khachatryan, was abducted by Azerbaijan on July 29, 2023, at an illegal checkpoint installed in the Lachin Corridor. At the time, Khachatryan was under the protection of the International Committee of the Red Cross and was being transferred to Armenia for medical treatment. Azerbaijani authorities later brought charges against him in Baku, accusing him of allegedly participating in so-called “genocidal acts against Azerbaijanis” during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. In November 2023, Khachatryan was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Another returned detainee, Lebanese-Armenian Vigen Euljekjyan, was captured shortly after the end of the 2020 war. In 2021, Azerbaijan charged him with mercenarism, terrorism, and illegal crossing of the Azerbaijani state border. A court in Baku sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Gevorg Sujyan and Davit Davtyan were captured in November 2020, after active fighting in Artsakh had ended. During the war, Sujyan had been delivering aid to Artsakh together with friends. Azerbaijan accused both Sujyan and Davtyan of espionage. They were later sentenced to 15 years in prison.

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