Davit Ishkhanyan cannot be released while the ARF says “we will bring Karabakh back” – that is aggressive rhetoric, says Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that political rhetoric in Armenia affects the process of securing the return of Armenian prisoners held in Baku.

“They see the statements being made in Armenia by members of Davit Ishkhanyan’s party. Does that influence the overall process? Of course it does,” Pashinyan said in a conversation with reporters.

According to him, the same applies to the case of Davit Babayan. Pashinyan noted that statements made by Babayan’s supporters are also being monitored in Azerbaijan and likewise affect the situation.

“If the ARF promotes the idea that they will bring Karabakh back, is it logical to expect Azerbaijan to release a representative of that same political force a minute before he goes and joins that process? How are they planning to bring it back? It is obvious, isn’t it, that this is confrontational rhetoric that could eventually lead to certain manifestations,” he stated.

Pashinyan stressed that it is difficult to achieve progress on the release of representatives affiliated with the ARF while the party in Armenia continues to use aggressive and conflict-driven rhetoric.