Political and public figure Avetik Chalabyan addressed the release of footage from trials in Baku, which he described as “a reckoning against the Armenian people and their liberation struggle.” The footage, he noted in a Facebook post, has caused despair and a sense of helplessness.

Chalabyan proposed steps to address the situation, emphasizing the need to demand the inclusion of captive release issue in the ongoing “peace treaty” negotiations.

“The publication of trial footage from Baku evoked feelings of despair and helplessness among many of my acquaintances, as we are currently unable to provide direct assistance to our detained compatriots. However, this does not mean we cannot help at all. Much depends on each of us,” he wrote.

Chalabyan’s proposals include:

-Demanding that captives' release be an inseparable part of the peace treaty, refusing to sign such a treaty without it, even if this delays its conclusion.

-Asserting the recognition of Artsakh’s right to self-determination as a precondition for lasting peace and ensuring Azerbaijan refrains from criminal prosecution of conflict participants.

-Rejecting the dissolution of the Minsk Group to prevent the delegitimization of the Artsakh struggle, which could embolden further Azerbaijani demands.

-Mobilizing influential Diaspora centers to focus resources on advocating for hostages’ release, particularly lobbying their governments and engaging with Russian authorities, as the hostages were under the de facto protection of Russian peacekeepers.

-Drawing global public attention to the trials in Baku and discrediting Azerbaijan’s hereditary authoritarian regime.

Chalabyan also suggested considering more radical measures if the above actions prove insufficient, drawing on the Armenian people’s historical experience in such struggles.

He concluded by expressing his solidarity with the detained Armenians, specifically mentioning the courageous commander Levon Mnatsakanyan. “May God protect you. Stay strong,” Chalabyan wrote.

Baku has confirmed the detention of 23 Armenians, 17 of whom were captured during the military aggression against Artsakh in September 2023. Among them are Ruben Vardanyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Manukyan, and former Artsakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan. Trials began on January 17.