Christian organization urges Trump to support the return of Armenians to Karabakh

On August 8, 2025, the organization Christian Solidarity International (CSI) appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to support the safe return of nearly 150,000 Armenian Christians to the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The statement came during a peace summit at the White House with the participation of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. CSI, which holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, is asking the American leader to back the Swiss peace initiative, which calls for dialogue between Baku and representatives of Karabakh Armenians, World News reported.

The initiative aims to reach an agreement that will allow displaced residents to return home. On the same day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a peace agreement that, according to Trump, ends the 34-year conflict.

CSI recalled that in 2023 Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh and announced an amnesty for local Armenian Christians. However, most of them left the region fearing persecution. According to the organization, more than 100 Armenians remain in captivity, and dozens of clergy and public figures have been arrested in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

It should also be recalled that in the Primatial See of Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II met with representatives of the “Five Human Rights Defenders” initiative. The discussion focused on increasing government pressure on the Church, including an attempt to change the procedure for electing the Catholicos, the arrests of hierarchs, and public statements by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about his intention to lead a movement to remove the Primate.