CANBERRA: On Monday, 12 October, Shadow Treasurer the Hon. Tim Wilson MP raised the ongoing detention of 19 Armenian hostages from Artsakh in the House of Representatives, following a meeting with young Armenian-Australian advocates facilitated by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
As part of the ANC-AU’s Youth Advocates Program, four young Armenian-Australians met with Mr Wilson to urge Australia to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan.
Following the meeting, Mr Wilson spoke on the issue in Parliament that evening, drawing on his firsthand experience witnessing the mass displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population during an ANC-AU-hosted delegation to Armenia in 2023.
Reflecting on the events of September 2023, Mr Wilson told the House of Representatives: “
One of the days we were there was the day of Azerbaijan’s invasion of the Republic of Artsakh […] Over the following days, we went down to the town of Goris […] and watched 100,000 displaced people move from their homeland into Armenia.”
Addressing the Australian Government, he added: “
So, to the Foreign Minister, I hope that there are appropriate representations for their release and to make sure that they are not punished simply for wanting to defend their homeland and stand up for their way of life.”
Mr Wilson’s intervention comes amid growing international calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian hostages detained in Azerbaijan. On 8 October, the European Parliament passed a resolution reiterating calls for their release, adding to mounting international pressure for action.
Speaking on the development, ANC-AU Political Affairs Director Sebastian Majarian said: “
The ANC-AU and the broader Armenian-Australian community are incredibly grateful for the Shadow Treasurer’s continued support of our community and his advocacy for the release of the Artsakh hostages.”
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This is a powerful demonstration of what grassroots advocacy can achieve when we empower and mobilise our young people. By meeting directly with elected representatives and making their voices heard, our Youth Advocates helped bring this critical issue back into the national parliamentary debate.”
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We hope this intervention will encourage the Australian Government to make meaningful representations for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan.”
The ANC-AU’s Youth Advocates Program equips young Armenian-Australians with the skills and opportunities to engage directly with Australian parliamentarians and advance issues affecting the Armenian-Australian community.
To read the full speech, click
here
