The families of Armenian prisoners held in Baku have addressed an open letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney requesting that Canada’s Senior Official for Hostage Affairs be engaged in the case of Armenian prisoners and to support efforts for their immediate and unconditional release.
The full text of the letter:
«The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Prime Minister Carney,
We, the families of Armenian prisoners held in Baku, warmly welcome your historic visit to Armenia for the 8th European Political Community Summit. We hope your presence will further strengthen Canada-Armenia relations and contribute to peace, security, and stability in the region.
We write to draw your attention to an urgent humanitarian issue: the continued arbitrary detention of our loved ones — 19 Armenian prisoners currently held in Azerbaijan. Despite repeated calls by international bodies, including the European Parliament, for their immediate and unconditional release, Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully detain them, prolonging the suffering of their families and undermining confidence in the peace process.
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Canada has shown principled leadership in combating arbitrary detention and hostage diplomacy. Through the establishment of the Senior Official for Hostage Affairs and its leadership of the Declaration against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations, Canada has affirmed that human beings must not be used as instruments of political leverage between States. We respectfully submit that the situation of our loved ones falls squarely within the spirit and purpose of these commitments.
Our concerns are deepened by the conditions of their detention and the serious human rights violations documented by international actors. Proceedings against them have been widely criticized as incompatible with fair-trial guarantees. Azerbaijani officials have made statements suggesting no intention to release former officials of Nagorno-Karabakh. The closure of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s physical presence in Azerbaijan has further deprived our families of regular, independent verification of their wellbeing.
Canada’s own experience gives particular moral weight to this appeal. Canada has recognized, through its own reconciliation process, that durable peace cannot be built on denial, silence, or unresolved harm, but must rest on truth, recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership. The same principle applies here: a peace that leaves human beings arbitrarily detained and families in anguish cannot be credible, durable, or just.
Prime Minister, your address at Davos articulated a vision of “value-based realism” — principled, pragmatic, and grounded in human rights, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the rule of law. You invoked Václav Havel’s warning against “living within a lie.” The continued detention of Armenian prisoners in Baku is precisely such a reality that must be named honestly and addressed with resolve.
We respectfully request that you engage Canada’s Senior Official for Hostage Affairs to address the case of Armenian prisoners held in Baku and support efforts for their immediate and unconditional release. We also ask Canada to use its voice, diplomatic channels, and partnerships, including with the European Union, the United States, and other endorsers of the Declaration against Arbitrary Detention, to coordinate pressure on Azerbaijan.
For the Armenian public, Azerbaijan’s commitments to peace cannot be credible while Armenian prisoners remain in captivity. Their release and repatriation are indispensable to any genuine peace process and constitute a vital confidence-building measure.
Your visit to Yerevan presents an important opportunity to demonstrate that Canada’s commitment to ending arbitrary detention is not only declaratory, but operational. We respectfully urge you to meet with affected families, hear directly from us, and raise the issue of Armenian prisoners in your engagements with international leaders.
We firmly believe that Canada can play a principled and constructive role in ending the suffering of our families. We thank you for your attention to this urgent humanitarian matter and respectfully look forward to Canada’s support in securing the release and safe return of our loved ones».
Free Armenian Prisoners