News - Newspaper: What is being done to bring Ruben Vardanyan, other arrested Karabakh ex-officials from Azerbaijan to Armenia?

Zhoghovurd daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: On September 27, former Minister of State of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Ruben Vardanyan was arrested by the Azerbaijani side at the illegal Hakari checkpoint located on the Lachin corridor, as reported by his wife. Later, Azerbaijan reported that Vardanyan was detained for 4 months. The NSS [National Security Service] of Azerbaijan also reported that Davit Manukyan, the former first deputy commander of the NK DA [Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army], was also arrested, who, according to the exclusive information of Zhoghovurd daily, was in Ruben Vardanyan's car; that is, they were arrested on the same day. On September 29, information was spread in the Azerbaijani media that Levon Mnatsakanyan, the former commander of the Artsakh DA, was also captured. Starting from October 4, the Azerbaijani press began to distribute photos, videos with the participation of the also captured [Artsakh former] presidents: Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan. These are only the captivities that took place at the level of [Artsakh] officials, and only in recent days. Hundreds, if not thousands, of [Armenian] civilians, servicemen, war participants, and minors are currently in captivity in Azerbaijan. And what steps is Armenia, now the only Armenian state, taking in this regard? Those bodies, which, it is assumed, should have carried out activities in this direction, are silent in multi-content. Zhoghovurd daily has sent inquiries to the governing bodies of the state in order to understand what steps the RA is taking towards returning the captured during and after the 2020 war, the  3 presidents of the Republic of Artsakh and former and current military and political leaders captured in 2023 to the homeland. "The powers of the President of the Republic [of Armenia] in the domain of foreign policy are specified by the Constitution. The issues discussed in your letter are not related to the powers and functions of the President of the Republic defined by the Constitution," the [Armenian] presidency informs.