SYDNEY: Member of Willoughby, Tim James MP, has demanded the immediate release of all Armenian Hostage in Azerbaijan and joined Federal Parliamentarians the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP and the Hon. Michael Sukkar MP in becoming a protection sponsor for one of the hostages currently detained in Azerbaijan, Mr Levon Mnatsakanyan, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
Since Azerbaijan’s military offensive and subsequent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in September 2023, twenty-three Armenian hostages, including eight political leaders of Artsakh who were captured have been languishing in Azerbaijani prisons, subject to mistreatment and undertaking hunger strikes. International human rights lawyers representing the hostages have repeatedly flagged legal and human rights violations by Azerbaijan’s government.
On 7 March 2025, Mr James penned a letter addressed to Mr Vagif Jafarov, the Chargé d'affaires of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Canberra. In the letter, Mr James expressed his serious concerns about the well-being of the hostages and condemned the sham trials as “politically motivated”.
In the letter, Mr James reiterated the New South Wales Parliament’s recognition of the Republic of Artsakh as an independent state and commitment to democracy, whilst condemning Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the continued arbitrary detention, torture, and lack of fair trials within Azerbaijan’s prison system.
Mr James then affirmed his support and request for protection for Mr Levon Mnatsakanyan, the Former Minister of Defence of Artsakh, who is currently participating in the sham trials alongside other Armenian hostages.
The letter said: “I am committed to advocating for Mr Mnatsakanyan’s well-being and request regular updates on his mental and physical health to ensure his rights are upheld. Furthermore, I urge the Azerbaijani Government to immediately release Mr Mnatsakanyan and all other Armenian political prisoners, including civilians and prisoners of war.”
Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Michael Kolokossian said: “I have personally written to Tim on behalf of our community, thanking him for his solidarity. The sham trials are a farce. It is not a trial against criminals, but the global Armenian nation and defenders of the right to self-determination.”
“Azerbaijan believes it can escape accountability during the unjust trials of Armenian hostages by expelling UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from the country. The protection sponsor initiative aims to shine a light on Azerbaijan’s illegal activities and sends a clear message that the world is watching," Kolokossian added.
