Ten Armenian Detainees Returned Home From Azerbaijan

YEREVAN — The Armenian Foreign Ministry announced the return of 10 Armenian POWs from Azerbaijan.

“With the mediation of the President of the European Council Charles Michel, 10 prisoners of war returned to their homeland,” the press secretary of the RA Foreign Ministry said on Facebook.

The detainees were repatriated with the mediation of the President of EU Council Charles Michel.

“Happy to have been able to repatriate 10 Armenian servicemen,” EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Tovio Klaar said in a Twitter post.

Tovio Klaar called it “an important gesture by Azerbaijan in the process of addressing humanitarian issues ”

“The European Union will continue to work with both countries to build on the successful meetings of the President of the EU Council with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev”.

For his part President of the EU Council Charles Michel has welcomed the release of the Armenian detainees.

“Warmly welcome Baku’s release of 10 Armenian detainees in follow up to discussions with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan,” describing it as “an important humanitarian gesture demonstrating the mutual will to strengthen confidence as discussed in Brussels.”

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has published the names and years of birth of the returned prisoners: Galstyan Hrachik (1990), Dilanyan Mkrtich (1982), Harutyunyan Gagik (1982), Poghosyan Radik (1990), Ghevondyan Andranik (1973), Nazaryan Artur (1978), Shahinyan Marat (1977), Petrosyan Sevek (1984), Stepanyan Karlen (1974) and Vasilyan Hayk (1984).