Spiritual leaders urge Pope Leo XIV to help free Artsakh prisoners

Leaders of the Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches have appealed to Pope Leo XIV, urging him to take steps to help secure the release of Armenians held in Azerbaijan.

The letter states that at least 23 prisoners are victims of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.

The list of signatories is led by retired Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and Archbishop Anoushavan Danielian, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Eastern Diocese of North America. The letter notes that the trials are being conducted behind closed doors, without defense or contact with families, and that the prisoners are being pressured because of their faith.

The letter urges the Pope to personally advocate for the prisoners’ release, emphasizing that his intervention could ease the suffering of families.

The Azerbaijani prosecutor’s office is seeking life sentences for several former leaders of Artsakh and lengthy prison terms for other detainees.