A group of Catholic and Armenian Apostolic leaders is urging Pope Leo XIV to appeal for the release of at least 23 Artsakh-Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, citing their deteriorating condition and the destruction of Christian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The appeal, read by The Christian Post, was sent ahead of Christmas and described the detainees as victims of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of the region’s Armenian population in September 2023. Leading the more than a dozen signatories are retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and Archbishop Anoushavan Tanielian of the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.

Nagorno-Karabakh had been predominantly Armenian in population and self-governed since 1991, although it remained internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. Baku’s 2023 military campaign forced over 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee, ending three decades of de facto independence for the enclave in a matter of days after a months-long military blockade.

Baku is holding nearly two dozen, mostly former high-ranking officials, who are being tried behind closed doors without access to impartial legal counsel or the ability to review evidence against them, according to the Switzerland-based Christian Solidarity International. The European Parliament has warned that hostages are being subject to "sham trials." 

"Communication with their families, already limited, has worsened since Azerbaijan expelled the Red Cross from the country last year. Their Christian faith — and their dignity as human persons — are being crushed," the letter reads. 

The signatories of the letter said the men, prisoners of war, are among approximately 80 individuals still missing since Azerbaijan’s seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh. They expressed concern that these captives have been denied access to communication and basic legal protections, and that their Christian faith is being violated in custody.

The letter referred to reports that Azerbaijan has destroyed historic Armenian churches and monasteries on a scale surpassing that of the Islamic State’s actions in Iraq and Syria. The writers called it part of a campaign to erase nearly 2,000 years of Christian presence in the region.

"Azerbaijan’s campaign extends beyond the imprisonment of the living to the destruction of sacred heritage itself," the letter states. "Recent documentation reveals that Azerbaijan has systematically destroyed more Christian monuments and churches in Nagorno-Karabakh than ISIS destroyed in Iraq and Syria — an erasure of nearly two millennia of Christian civilization, including medieval churches, monasteries, and countless sacred sites."

Signatories to the letter also included Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America; Bishop François Beyrouti of the Melkite Catholic Church; and Simone Rizkallah from the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism, among others. 

The United Nations Committee Against Torture expressed concern in May 2024 over allegations of torture, arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of Armenians in Azerbaijan, concluding that the detention of 23 Armenians on terrorism charges lacked sufficient legal safeguards.

In a provisional order issued in November 2023, the International Court of Justice directed Azerbaijan to allow the safe return of displaced Armenians and refrain from actions that would hinder this process, including detention or obstruction.

On March 3, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for the immediate release of ethnic Armenians and others “arbitrarily” detained in Azerbaijan, including those held in the aftermath of the military offensive.

The Catholic and Armenian religious leaders also cited Pope Leo’s recent canonization of Armenian martyr Saint Ignatius Maloyan as a sign of the Roman Catholic Church’s continued solidarity with Armenians. They referred to the pope’s earlier statement that Armenians “carve the cross into stone as a sign of their firm and enduring faith.”

They argued that the current situation requires intervention from the Holy See, given its moral authority and diplomatic ties with Baku. The letter appealed to Pope Leo to personally advocate for the captives’ release, saying such a call could help end the suffering of families still waiting for news of their loved ones.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly stated in 2022 and reaffirmed in 2023 that Armenia recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, including Nagorno-Karabakh, effectively retreating from support for the region’s de facto independence. This marked a major shift from Armenia’s earlier policy, especially during the 1990s and 2000s.

Azerbaijan received support from Turkey and other regional allies for its military offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh. The humanitarian aftermath, including reports of detention, torture and repression of civil society, has drawn only limited international response.

The group asked Pope Leo to act ahead of Christmas, calling it a season of mercy and reunion.