Recent return of Armenian prisoners raises hopes process could continue – expert

International law specialist and lawyer Siranush Sahakyan believes that the recent return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan to Armenia gives hope that the process can be continuous.

Sahakyan expressed this view at a press conference on January 17.

She positively assessed the return of Armenian prisoners, recalling that the last time Baku released Armenian prisoners was in December 2023, when 32 people were returned to Armenia.

"We welcome the return of every Armenian; there is no second opinion on this," she said, adding that after the return of 32 Armenian prisoners in December 2023, there was a prolonged pause in the process, "as no further repatriations took place."

She recalled that a preliminary peace agreement with Azerbaijan in 2025 envisaged more good-neighbourly relations, nevertheless, a large number of Armenian prisoners were not repatriated.

“In this regard, this time’s return raises hope that this process can be continuous,” Sahakyan said.