Pashinyan Attends Wine Festival While Two Armenian Children Remain Captured by Azerbaijan, Refuses to Answer Questions

Nearly 24 hours after two Armenian children went missing near the border with Azerbaijan and were captured by Azerbaijani forces, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife Anna Hakobyan were seen enjoying a public wine festival in central Yerevan, ignoring urgent questions about the boys’ fate.

On Friday, Armenian minors Karen Jhangiryan (born June 27, 2007) and Andrey Gyagunts (born January 13, 2008), from the Syunik region, accidentally crossed into Azerbaijani-controlled territory (occupied Republic of Artsakh)  and were detained. Since then, their families and fellow citizens have received no updates about their condition. The government has provided no clear information and shown no visible effort to secure the boys’ release.

As the situation remained unresolved and anxiety spread throughout Armenia, Pashinyan chose to appear publicly at Yerevan Wine Days. When a reporter from The Armenian Report attempted to ask the Prime Minister whether he was aware of the boys’ capture and what the government was doing in response, Pashinyan ignored the question. His security guards then pushed the reporter away, refusing to allow any further interaction.

The footage of this moment caused immediate outrage on social media. Many Armenians saw it as a symbol of their government’s growing disconnect from the hardships faced by ordinary citizens, especially in border communities like Syunik.

For the people of Armenia, this is not an isolated failure. Many living in frontline regions have long warned that they feel abandoned by leaders in Yerevan. The Armenian government has often been slow and weak in responding to Azerbaijani aggression and provocations. Now, with two innocent children in captivity, the same pattern of silence and inaction continues.

While the Prime Minister smiled for cameras and mingled at a festival, the parents of Karen and Andrey endured another sleepless night, hoping for any sign of progress. Across the country, Armenians are asking: why is there no urgent national response? Why is the government not using every diplomatic and international channel to demand the boys’ safe return?

Every hour that passes without action sends a dangerous message — to Azerbaijan, that such aggressions will go unanswered, and to Armenians, that their leaders have other priorities.

The people of Armenia deserve a government that will defend its citizens and act with urgency in times of crisis. Pashinyan’s choice to attend a public celebration while two Armenian children remain in enemy hands has only deepened public frustration and mistrust.

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