European Parliament Demands Release of Armenian POWs Held in Azerbaijan in New Resolution

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on political prisoners in Azerbaijan that includes a call for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian detainees, including former senior officials of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The resolution passed with 492 votes in favor, 23 against and 60 abstentions.

French Member of the European Parliament Marina Mesure, one of the resolution’s co-authors, said Armenian prisoners were not mentioned in the original draft but were added following negotiations this week.

“The original text was silent on the Armenians detained by Aliyev’s regime following a sham trial,” Mesure wrote on social media.

She said she successfully pushed for their inclusion in the final version.

“The fight continues until their release,” she added.

The resolution comes as 19 Armenians remain in Azerbaijani custody, including former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Several were detained following Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive, which brought Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijani occupation and forced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee their homes.

Among those detained is former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. The trials of Armenian detainees have drawn criticism from human rights advocates over due process, access to legal representation and detention conditions.

The European Parliament has repeatedly raised concerns about their imprisonment. In March 2025, lawmakers adopted a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

The latest resolution renews that demand as Armenia and Azerbaijan continue efforts to normalize relations following decades of conflict.

Despite diplomatic progress, including a U.S.-brokered peace agreement initialed in Washington in August 2025, the Armenian prisoners remain in Azerbaijani custody.

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