Statement by eminent intellectuals of Lithuania, appealing to Azerbaijan to speed up the exchange of bodies, prisoners of war, and hostages and their return to Armenia

04 March, 2021

Famous Lithuanian film director and producer Kestutis Drazdauskas posted on his Facebook account a statement by eminent intellectuals of Lithuania, appealing to Azerbaijan to speed up the exchange of bodies, prisoners of war, and hostages and their return to Armenia.

The announcement particularly says:

"We, the cultural figures of the Republic of Lithuania, joining the statement of February 8 by the members of the interparliamentary group with Armenia of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas), call on the authorities of Azerbaijan not to obstruct the exchange of remains of victims of war, prisoners of war and hostages of the Third Nagorno-Karabakh war and immediately return them to Armenia. To the best of our knowledge, all the Azeri captives have already been returned.

We also appeal to the progressive international community to join this humanitarian initiative to support the overcoming of the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh after the last war."

Budraitis Juozas – theater, film, and television actor, photographer, diplomat

Calzonas Benhardas – composer

Drazdauskas Kęstutis – film director and producer

Eidrigevičius Stasys - Painter

Grigorian Asmik – opera singer

Ibelhauptaitė Dalia – theater and opera director, producer

Koršunovas Oskaras – director, playwright, scenographer

Landsbergis V. Vytautas – poet, publicist, theater and film director, children’s author

Mamontovas Andrius – musician, producer, actor

Matelis Arūnas – film director and producer

Mainelytė Vaiva – actress

Miškūnaitė Viktorija – opera singer