The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has welcomed a powerful letter from New South Wales Legislative Council Member, the Hon. Susan Carter MLC, who has pledged to sponsor Mr Arayik Harutyunyan \u2014 the former President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) \u2014 and has called for his immediate release from Azerbaijani custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her letter addressed to Azerbaijani diplomatic representatives in Australia, Carter states: \u201cI am writing to you in my capacity as a member of the NSW Legislative Council to declare my commitment to sponsor Mr Arayik Harutyunyan, former President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. I call for his immediate release.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carter\u2019s letter raises serious concerns about Azerbaijan\u2019s ongoing violations of international law and human rights, specifically citing the \u201cunlawful imprisonment of 23 Armenian prisoners\u201d following Azerbaijan\u2019s ethnic cleansing and occupation of the Republic of Artsakh in late 2023. The NSW MP urged Azerbaijani authorities to adhere to international humanitarian standards and release all political prisoners immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) commended Carter\u2019s principled stand and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Armenian-Australian community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSusan Carter has added her voice to the growing chorus of Australian lawmakers who will not be silent in the face of injustice. Her support is deeply appreciated by our community,\u201d said Armenian National Committee of Australia Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carter joins, New South Wales legislators Hugh McDermott MP – Member for Prospect and Tim James MP – Member for Willoughby who have written directly to the Azerbaijani Charg\u00e9 d’Affaires Mr Vagif Jafarov, demanding accountability and transparency in relation to Azerbaijan\u2019s treatment of Armenian prisoners of war and political detainees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her letter Carter states: \u201cI ask that, in my capacity as his sponsor, I receive regular updates on Mr Harutyunyan\u2019s mental and physical health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kolokossian warned of the urgent need for international pressure on Azerbaijan: \u201cThe ongoing detention of Armenian political leaders and civilians by the Aliyev regime is not only a breach of international law \u2014 it is a moral disgrace. The international community must act, Australia must act and our community will be adopting new measures to advocate for the release of Armenian hostages.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has welcomed a powerful letter from New South Wales Legislative Council Member, the Hon. Susan Carter MLC, who has pledged to sponsor Mr Arayik Harutyunyan \u2014 the former President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) \u2014 and has called for his immediate release from Azerbaijani custody. In her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[115],"tags":[131,397],"class_list":["post-23801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-anc-australia","tag-397"],"yoast_head":"\n