UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is in Yerevan to attend the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), was asked how lasting peace could be established if Azerbaijan did not return Armenian prisoners. In response, he said he was a strong supporter of the peace agreement.
He expressed hope that the provisions set out in the peace agreement would soon be implemented, that progress would accelerate toward finalizing the agreement and that all outstanding issues would be resolved, adding that he “sincerely regrets” those unresolved matters, Panorama.am reports.
Guterres was also asked why the international community, including the United Nations under his leadership, was not exerting greater pressure on Azerbaijan’s president to secure the release of Armenian prisoners.
“We call on all parties to implement all provisions of the agreement as quickly as possible, including those concerning detained persons,” he said.
Former Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and former first deputy commander Davit Manukyan have also received life sentences, as have former Artsakh Republic Foreign Minister Davit Babayan and National Assembly Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan. Former Artsakh Republic Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan have been sentenced to 20 years in prison. A court in Baku sentenced Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison.
Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan have been sentenced to 19 years in prison, Garik Martirosyan to 18 years, Davit Alahverdyan and Levon Balayan to 16 years, and Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan and Vasily Beglaryan to 15 years in prison.
