The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement in connection with the criminal prosecutions initiated in Azerbaijan against the Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, the Third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan.

The statement runs as follows.

"The Azerbaijani authorities have initiated criminal prosecution and put on the international wanted list President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, ex-Presidents of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan.

We strongly condemn the criminal prosecutions of Azerbaijan dictated by fabricated and anti-Armenian considerations, as well as such abuse of international law enforcement procedures.

Instead of efforts to identify those involved in the extrajudicial killings of civilians of Artsakh and the enforced disappearances of Armenian POWs, as well as to identify criminal networks for the delivery of terrorists to the region, Azerbaijan is once again launching an anti-Armenian policy, making new attempts to escalate tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh, on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

We call on Azerbaijan to seek solutions in a constructive field, to take steps aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of all peoples of the region. 

At the same time, we reaffirm the commitment of the Republic of Armenia to make efforts aimed at establishing peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance in the region," the statement reads.