Catholicos Aram I Calls on President Trump to Secure Azerbaijan’s Release of Armenian Hostages
WASHINGTON, DC – His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to take urgent action to secure the release of Armenian hostages illegally detained and abused in Azerbaijan.
In a letter sent last week to President Trump, Catholicos Aram I urged the Trump-Vance Administration to press Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to immediately and unconditionally free dozens of Armenian leaders who have been held in Baku for over a year.
Dear Mr. President,
It gives me special joy to greet you on the occasion of your inauguration as the 47th President of the United States of America. I pray that with your triumphant return to the White House, a “Golden Age” will be opened in the modern history of the United States.
I followed with great interest your inaugural speech. It was a clear outline of your priorities, driven by strong faith and firm commitment. Mr. President, in your speech you presented yourself as a “peace-maker.” A challenging engagement indeed, in a world torn apart by many tensions and conflicts. I believe that the U.S.A. is in a unique position to embark on such a courageous mission. A mission which will undoubtedly open a promising course in world history.
In your pre-electoral statement, you have rightfully condemned Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s (Nagorno Karabagh) Armenian Christians, emphasized the right of indigenous Armenians to return to their Artsakh homeland, and called for the restoration of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Upon your election, the world looks to you to act upon these commitments, affirming your role as global peace-maker.
Therefore, I would like to draw your kind attention to an issue which continues to cause deep sorrow and concern to all Armenians around the world. Dozens of Armenian hostages have been illegally held in Baku, Azerbaijan for more than a year. The de facto closed-door trials of sixteen of these, former presidents, prime ministers and political leaders of Artsakh, began on January 17, 2025, without international observers or even minimal due juridical process.
Mr. President, the Armenian people will highly appreciate, if you appeal to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, to release immediately and unconditionally these prisoners, in accord with Azerbaijan’s own obligations under international law. Such a move will significantly advance the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, help foster good will and a constructive environment conducive to the return Armenians to Artsakh, promote mutual understanding across the region, and provide a concrete expression of your peace-making mission.
May God protect and lead you as you assume this critical mission at a crucial juncture of world history. I very much look forward to the opportunity to continue our dialogue in person.
Prayerfully
ARAM I
ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA
