Armenian Prime Minister: We released murderous Syrians in Armenia to develop relations with Damascus
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashnyan confirmed that the release of Syrian recruits who took part in the fighting alongside Azerbaijan came as part of a broader policy pursued by the Armenian government to strengthen its relations with the new leadership in Damascus.
Pashnian expressed his hope that this decision will contribute to improving conditions for the Armenian community living in Syria.
On January 14, 2026, Armenian authorities handed over, via Türkiye, two Syrian nationals sentenced to life imprisonment, Yousef Yousef al Obeit al Hajji and Mehrab Mohammed al Shakhir, to the Syrian authorities to carry out their sentences in their country of origin, the Armenian Ministry of Justice announced.
During a press conference on Thursday, Pashnian explained that the repatriation of four Armenian prisoners from Baku had nothing to do with the release of Syrian recruits, despite the simultaneous timing of the two operations, stressing that the two incidents were completely separate.
He pointed out that Azerbaijan released Armenian prisoners Gevork Sogyan, Davit Daftian, Vikin Oljikjian and Vagav Kochatryan last Wednesday, while on the same day, Yusuf al Obit al Hajji and Mehrab Muhammad al Shakhir were handed over to the Syrian authorities through Türkiye.
The two conscripts fought during the 44-day war in 2020 and were sentenced to life in prison in Armenia after being convicted of multiple crimes including international terrorism and serious violations of international humanitarian law.
The Armenian Ministry of Justice explained that the extradition was carried out on Tuesday, before the return of the Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan, in coordination between the concerned authorities in the two countries and in accordance with the legal procedures in force.
Reports indicate that the Syrian recruits were transferred to Azerbaijan via Türkiye during the armed conflict in 2020, after they participated in military training programs in Syria between June and September of the same year.
Law enforcement agencies also reported that recruits crossed the border without official documents, and international powers such as France, Russia, and the United States had a role in monitoring the participation of Syrian recruits in the conflict between Baku and Yerevan.
The move comes within the framework of the Armenian government’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with Damascus and create conditions for the protection of the Armenian community in Syria, amid continued interest in legal issues related to foreign fighters in regional conflicts.
