Church leaders in the UK have called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to pressure Azerbaijan into releasing Armenian detainees held on “fabricated charges.”
In a letter sent on Monday, Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the Armenian Primate in the UK and Ireland, alongside eight other senior clergy, including the Bishops of Winchester, Southwark, and Leeds, urged Starmer to act.
The letter highlights the detention of 23 former Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) officials, prisoners of war, and civilians following the forced displacement of 120,000 Armenians in 2023. It alleges these individuals are being tried in violation of fair trial principles.
Among them is Ruben Vardanyan, a former State Minister of Artsakh, who has been imprisoned since September 2023. Azerbaijani authorities have charged him with offenses under the country’s Criminal Code. Reports indicate he has been on hunger strike for over 20 days.
Paul Polman, vice-chair of the UN Global Compact, wrote on the Church Times website that Vardanyan has endured nearly 550 days of imprisonment, showing visible signs of torture while facing a secret military trial. He criticized the West for securing energy deals with Azerbaijan while ignoring the detainees’ plight.
The letter also condemns Azerbaijan’s crackdown on transparency, citing the suspension of the BBC’s operations, the expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and restrictions on independent journalism.
Church leaders are urging Starmer to take “decisive action” by demanding the immediate release of detainees and pressuring Azerbaijan to uphold its international obligations.
