Under What Conditions Will Artsakh Allow Visits from Relatives of Detained Azerbaijanis? D. Babayan

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Artsakh President, Davit Babayan, stated in an interview with Tert.am that Artsakh is prepared to allow visits from the relatives of Azerbaijani citizens detained in the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, provided this is done on a reciprocal basis. Additionally, our compatriots there can also be visited by their relatives.

“In general, our country is a democratic and civilized nation; we have only two Azerbaijani citizens in Artsakh, both of whom are terrorists and criminals, and these crimes have been revealed through an open, transparent trial attended by representatives of various international organizations and media,” he remarked. “We have not even deprived these individuals of fundamental human rights; they can communicate with their relatives via established procedures through ‘Skype’ or the internet, and they are visited by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross,” he added, noting that if they have health issues, appropriate medical assistance is provided.

He emphasized that this is a humanitarian approach and that we should not equate ourselves with these criminals and subject these individuals to torture like what occurs in Azerbaijan. “This should be mutual, as our citizens, our compatriots, are also held in Azerbaijan, who have done nothing and have merely wandered into Azerbaijani territory, and we have seen the treatment they have received. It is not ruled out that Azerbaijan may obstruct all of this; it cannot be the case that only the relatives of Azerbaijanis can visit while our relatives cannot visit there,” he asserted.

Regarding whether such visits have ever occurred, Davit Babayan stated that there have been mutual visits by media outlets, and exchanges took place during the war, but this is a very complex issue and particularly in the case of Azerbaijan, we have always witnessed atrocities.

“This cannot be one-sided, as this is no longer just a humanitarian issue but a matter of politics,” he concluded.