Foreign Minister Mirzoyan Discusses Armenian Prisoner Issues with ICRC President

NEW YORK — Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to discuss the situation of Armenian prisoners of war, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

The discussions focused on humanitarian concerns, particularly the release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held hostage in Azerbaijan, as well as the challenges of arranging visits to detainees following the closure of the ICRC office in Azerbaijan.

Both sides expressed hope that the peace agreement reached during the August 8 Washington summit between Armenia and Azerbaijan would also contribute to resolving humanitarian issues.

According to official data, 23 Armenians are currently being held in Azerbaijani prisons. Some have already been sentenced to lengthy prison terms on various charges, while trials against others—including members of the former Artsakh military and political leadership—have been ongoing for eight months.

Since the closure of the ICRC office in Baku, Armenian prisoners have been left in complete isolation, with no independent international organization able to visit them over the past three months.