MP Levon Kocharyan urges strong pressure on Baku to release Armenian prisoners
MP Levon Kocharyan of the opposition Hatasyan faction stressed the need to raise awareness about the ongoing sham trials of Artsakh's leaders in Baku. He also called for strong international pressure to secure the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kocharyan expressed doubts about whether Armenian leaders are addressing the issue of prisoners during negotiations with Azerbaijan. He argued that the “leader of a country who suffered a humiliating defeat is not in a position to negotiate effectively, something that was evident in the past four years.”
When asked whether Russia could have prevented the capture of Artsakh's military and political leadership by Azerbaijan, Kocharyan said: "I have heard various versions of what happened recently, but I will definitely refrain from commenting on the Russian president's actions, nor do I know if it's appropriate to frame the question that way. As for whether they could have prevented this situation, I can't say for certain. However, it would have been ideal if all of this had never happened, but unfortunately, we are left to deal with this painful reality."
"If Russia had the ability to intervene, I believe it would have done so, as all these events have tarnished their reputation in Armenia. This is a situation they surely would have wanted to avoid,” he added.
Kocharyan stated that the loss of Artsakh and the subsequent developments “have dealt a major blow to Russia's reputation, not only in Armenia but globally.”
“This is a scenario Russia would not have wished for,” the MP said.