Gaspar Karapetyan: We will demand the release of Artsakh officials and other prisoners held in Baku

From the moment Europe became an important player in resolving the Artsakh issue and Charles Michel became involved, we understood that we needed to make the voice of Europe heard, Gspar Karapetyan, Head of the ARF Hay Dat European Office, told Alpha News.

“Our office is always in contact with the European Parliament, which has often voted and adopted positive resolutions on both the Artsakh and Armenian issues. However, the relationship with the executive was more complex, and at meetings we were asked what point of view we had as representatives of Europe. So, we decided to go further. The first meeting took place in June, with the chairmen of the communities of seven countries present. Then we had an internal meeting, after which we met with the executive, and our European colleagues presented their point of view on the Artsakh issue. During an internal meeting, we decided to create the ‘Europeans for Artsakh’ platform, which currently involves 15 countries,” Karapetyan said.

According to him, events will be held in different cities of the world on January 27 and 28, demanding the release of former Artsakh officials and other prisoners held in Baku.

“As you remember, on October 5, a five-party meeting between Pashinyan, Macron, Scholz, Michel, and Aliyev was supposed to take place in Granada, but Aliyev opted out. That day in the central part of Granada, we organized a rally, which was attended by almost 300 people, so we were able to make some noise, and the world media began to refer to and cover this. Soon, on January 27 and 28, representatives of our community, together with the council, will organize events within the country; this could be a demonstration, an exhibition, or a political speech. During these events, we will demand the immediate release of former Artsakh officials and other prisoners held in Baku. We will also demand the safe return of Artsakh people to their ancestral lands in a way that Artsakh people themselves prefer,” Karapetyan emphasized.

Karapetyan assured that all statements published on the “Europeans for Artsakh” platform are aimed at protecting the rights of the people of Artsakh.

“The ‘Europeans for Artsakh’ platform does not have any party orientation. All statements published here are aimed at protecting the rights of the people of Artsakh. It will be expanded, and another 20-25 countries will join by the end of the month. This platform was created so that Armenians around the world—no matter what country they live in— have the opportunity to voice their problems, and we can jointly help them. We will do everything possible to achieve success and be an asset to our compatriots,” Karapetyan concluded.