National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan met with Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, thanking him for visiting Armenia.

Simonyan raised the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, those detained unlawfully, and missing persons, stressing their importance.

The discussion focused primarily on Armenia’s ongoing democratic reforms and also touched upon the peace process with Azerbaijan and regional stability.

In September 2023, following a nine-month blockade and ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Artsakh, Azerbaijan captured former Artsakh leaders Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, foreign minister Davit Babayan, and others. The charges against them are widely considered fabricated and could lead to life sentences. Their show trial began in Baku on January 17.