Armenian Foreign Ministry issues statement on Artsakh officials’ arrest by Azerbaijan

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns
the arrests of Nagorno-Karabakh officials Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan,
Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Ruben Vardanyan and others. The RA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on this.

“Despite the dialogue with the representatives of
Nagorno-Karabakh, the statements of high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan
regarding the willingness to respect and protect the rights of Armenians, not
to hinder their return to Nagorno-Karabakh, and on establishment of peace in
the region, the law enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan continue arbitrary
arrests,” reads the statement.

As noted, the Republic of Armenia will take all possible
steps to protect the rights of illegally detained representatives of
Nagorno-Karabakh, including in international courts.

“We also call on international partners to be consistent in
all their messages and appeals addressed to Azerbaijan on the protection of the
rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and to address the issue
both on a bilateral level with Azerbaijan and on various international
platforms,” reads the statement of the RA Foreign Ministry.