As Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders meet in Washington, CSI calls for release of prisoners, return to Nagorno Karabakh

Human rights group holds up Swiss Peace Initiative as “credible path” to resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict

ZURICH, ZH, SWITZERLAND, August 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia meet at the White House today, CSI is urging President Trump to support the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh and insist on the release of political prisoners.

In a statement released on Friday, CSI’s international president Dr. John Eibner expressed his hopes that the peace treaty widely expected to be initialed by the two leaders at the White House today “will contribute to lasting peace for all the peoples of this region, unlike previous peace agreements signed and then violated by Azerbaijan.”

But CSI urged President Trump to take additional steps to put this peace on “solid ground,” by supporting the Swiss government’s efforts to negotiate the safe return of displaced Armenians to their homes in Nagorno Karabakh, and working for the release of political prisoners.

At the White House today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan are expected to formalize a “concrete pathway to peace” and to initial – but not sign – a final peace treaty.

In both 2020 and 2023, however, Azerbaijan violated previously negotiated ceasefire agreements and launched full-scale military assaults on Nagorno Karabakh (or Artsakh), a self-governing Armenian territory. Virtually the entire Armenian population of the region – nearly 150,000 people – was expelled in these two wars. Most now live in Armenia. Azerbaijan is still holding 23 Armenians hostage.

The full text of a final peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan was agreed to in March, but Azerbaijan has refused to sign the treaty, instead making further demands on Armenia, including that it change its constitution.

CSI urged President Trump to “use this opening to insist on the release of all political prisoners held in Armenia and Azerbaijan.” The statement specifically mentioned the 23 Armenian hostages held by Azerbaijan, the 80 Armenians forcibly disappeared by Azerbaijan, the numerous Azerbaijani journalists, academics, and human rights activists imprisoned in Azerbaijan – some of whom are imprisoned for advocating for peace with Armenia – and the dozens of Armenians, including clergymen, imprisoned by Pashinyan’s government over the past few months for their opposition to the prime minister’s policies.

CSI also urged President Trump to support the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh, “a planned complementary peace forum between Azerbaijan and representatives of the forcibly displaced people of Nagorno Karabakh,” which the government of Switzerland is committed to organizing.

“The Swiss Peace Initiative represents a credible path to achieving the safe and collective return of the nearly 150,000 Armenian Christians forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh,” CSI’s statement said. “Bringing the Nagorno Karabakh conflict to a just conclusion would heal the biggest open wound in this conflict.”

CSI’s statement also noted a letter sent by 87 members of Congress to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 23, encouraging the United States to support the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno Karabakh.

In July, CSI facilitated the visit of a Swiss parliamentary delegation to Washington, D.C., to discuss the Swiss Peace Initiative with officials in the Trump administration and members of Congress.

About CSI

Christian Solidarity International is an international human rights group campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity.

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
+41 44 982 33 10
joel.veldkamp@csi-int.org
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Bluesky
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.