The Armenian Government Has a Direct Obligation to Free Our Fellow Citizens from Azerbaijani Persecution

The former Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, writes: “The detention and abduction of leaders, public officials, and military personnel from Artsakh by the Azerbaijani authorities are manifestly illegal and constitute sheer arbitrariness and criminal acts. Through these illegal detentions and political persecutions, the Azerbaijani government seeks to resolve global issues for itself—humiliating the Armenian people, undermining our national values, destroying the spirit of struggle and our ethnic identity, and, motivated by revenge, falsely showcasing its perceived advantages at the expense of inciting enmity between the two peoples and degrading our national and personal dignity. Therefore, it is clear that expecting any justice from the Azerbaijani authorities is simply futile.

In this context, the hunger strike declared by Ruben Vardanyan since April 5 (already 15 days) is a struggle to draw the world's attention to the utterly unlawful processes taking place and to achieve the release of all captives and hostages. This is not just a matter of individuals; it is a question of our country and our dignity. The Armenian government has a direct legal obligation to take every action possible to continuously work to free all our compatriots from unlawful persecution and to prevent new ones from occurring.”