As a result of a deal between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, 32 Armenian prisoners of war were freed, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announcing on Wednesday that they are already on Armenian soil.
Earlier reports suggested that the exchange of prisoners took place at the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Per the deal, Armenia handed over two Azerbaijani prisoners.
Of the release Armenian POWs, 31 are members of Armenia’s Armed Forces, and one was captured in Artsakh during Azerbaijan’s large-scale attack, which resulted in the forced displacement of more than 100,000 Artsakh Armenians.
“31 Armenian soldiers and 1 soldier captured in September in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic crossed the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and are in the Republic of Armenia. They will first undergo a preliminary medical examination and return to their relatives,” said Pashinyan in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told Azatutyun.am earlier on Wednesday that the points of the agreement announced last week by the offices of Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan remain unchanged.
“There were two aspects to the exchange of captives: releasing them [POWs] and the component related to the climate conference. That conference officially ended yesterday and today we can anticipate the realization of the second component,” Mirzoyan told Azatutyun on Wednesday.
The joint agreement also stipulates that Armenia would support Azerbaijan’s bid to host the 2029 UN Climate Summit by withdrawing its own application. The Climate Summit, being held in Dubai this year, ended on Tuesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Azerbaijani Turan news agency reported that according to its sources the prisoner exchange was to take place on the Ijevan-Kazakh section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. In return for the 32 Armenian prisoners, Armenia returned two Azerbaijani soldiers, Agshin Babirov and Hussein Akhundov, who were charged with the killing of a security guard in the Zangezur copper mine earlier this year. The two were charged and sentenced to 11 year and life prison sentences respectfully.
In his Facebook post on Wednesday, Pashinyan also released the names of the freed Armenian soldiers.
Below is the list, as published in Pashinyan’s post.
- Avagyan Hrach – Shirak, Gyumri
- Avagyan Serob – Shirak, Zuygalbyur
- Avagyan Tigran – Shirak, Gyumri
- Avetisyan Vagharshak – Shirak, Zuygalbyur
- Aramyan Karen – Shirak, Ashotsk
- Bahrikyan Vahagn – Shirak, Akhuryan
- Baghdasaryan Artur – Shirak, Gyumri
- Gevorgyan Robert – Shirak, Akhuryan
- Dilanyan Arman – Shirak, Zuygalbyur
- Yeghiazaryan Sasun – Shirak, Ani
- Tadevosyan Hrayr – Shirak, Ashotsk
- Tosunyan Levon – Shirak, Ashotsk
- Isanyan Aren – Stepanakert
- Kirakosyan Eduard – Shirak, Gyumri
- Kostanyan Narek – Shirak, Artik
- Hakobyan Volodya – Shirak, Sarnaghbyur
- Harutyunyan Varazdat – Shirak, Akhuryan
- Herabyan Hrayr – Shirak, Ashotsk
- Hovagimyan Harutyun – Syunik, Kapan
- Hovhannisyan Haykaz – Shirak, Akhuryan
- Ghazaryan Karen – Tavush, Dilijan
- Martoyan Manuk – Shirak, Lanjik
- Martirosyan Gevorg- Shirak, Gyumri
- Mikayelyan Andranik – Shirak, Gyumri
- Voskanyan Gagik- Yerevan
- Rafaelyan Vladimir – Armavir, Vagharshapat
- Saghatelyan Grigor – Shirak, Ashotsk
- Sargsyan Ishkhan – Yerevan
- Serobyan Gegham- Shirak, Zuygalbyur
- Sukiasyan Andranik – Shirak, Gyumri
- Stepanyan Davit- Shirak, Panik
- Vardanyan Arsen- Shirak, Ani
