Yerevan /Mediamax/. More than 150 global humanitarian, political figures and business leaders have signed a letter calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Armenian prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan.

The letter’s signatories are, in particular, former heads of state, such as Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Oscar Arias, former President of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Leymah Roberta Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Board of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity and Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, and son of the late Elie Wiesel, former Co-Chair of Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin, Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce; Ariana Huffington, founder of Thrive and The Huffington Post.

A full list of signatories and a copy of the letter are available at: www.FreeArmenianPrisoners.com.

Signatory Paul Polman, Vice Chair of the United Nations Global Compact and former CEO of Unilever said:

“We call on President Aliyev to fulfill his obligations to international rules and law, ensuring those unjustly imprisoned can return safely to their families. All individuals in Nagorno-Karabakh have a right to experience a life of peace and security, including the freedom to move without hindrance or the looming specter of inhuman treatment. Given Azerbaijan’s bid to host COP 29 in 2024, I sincerely hope the United Nations will only agree if Baku releases all these prisoners.”

Mary Robinson, Former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights said:

“The unjust detention of Ruben Vardanyan and so many others being held in Baku violates their basic human rights. For the government of Azerbaijan to be respected in the global community, it is critical they respect the rule of law, especially in light of the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh. They must release these detainees immediately.”