Trump pledges to help free 23 Armenian captives

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in Washington that he would support efforts to secure the release of 23 Armenians held in Azerbaijani prisons. Trump made this statement at the White House during his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“Are you talking about 23 Christians? I am going to ask him [referring to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev] to do that. I think they will do it for me. This is important, isn’t it?” Trump said, according to Armenpress.

Responding to claims that Pashinyan had opposed raising the issue of the captives’ return in Washington, the prime minister’s spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, wrote on Facebook that “the matter was brought up during the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump precisely at the initiative of Prime Minister Pashinyan.”

“Absurd speculation is circulating online, claiming that the prime minister opposed the return of our compatriots held in Azerbaijan, or some of them, during his visit to Washington. The prime minister has repeatedly stated that Armenian representatives raise this matter in all formats of their meetings and seek solutions. In the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the issue was discussed entirely at Prime Minister Pashinyan’s initiative, and he spoke about it in full, not partially,” the statement said.

During a press conference in Washington, Prime Minister Pashinyan reiterated that he raises the issue of Armenian captives in Azerbaijan at the highest level in all his meetings. Azerbaijan officially confirms that it holds about 23 Armenian captives.