Appeal Sent to International Committee of the Red Cross Urging Immediate Access to Armenian POWs Held in Azerbaijan

A formal appeal has been sent to the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), calling for urgent action to restore humanitarian access to Armenian prisoners currently detained in Azerbaijan. The letter was issued by the Buenos Aires Chapter of the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR), raising serious concerns about the conditions, legal uncertainty, and lack of communication faced by the detainees.

The appeal shows the situation of several Armenian prisoners, including Ruben Vardanyan, and asks the ICRC to use its mandate and experience to re-establish access to those in custody. The organization emphasized the unique role of the ICRC as a neutral and independent humanitarian actor capable of working with all sides in sensitive situations.

According to the letter, the situation has become increasingly alarming in recent weeks. On March 13, 2026, during a short phone call with his family, Ruben Vardanyan attempted to contact Azerbaijan’s Ombudsperson, Sabina Aliyeva. This attempt came after ten days of failed efforts by his legal team to reach her through official channels, including written requests and phone calls. However, the call was cut off before he could complete his appeal, leaving him without a way to raise concerns about his detention.

The letter states that more than a month after the conclusion of the trials, neither Vardanyan nor other Armenian prisoners have received official documents explaining their verdicts. They have not been given these documents in any language, including Russian, Armenian, or Azerbaijani. As a result, they do not know the exact charges against them, nor have they been informed about where or when they will be transferred to serve their sentences.

Concerns about the physical condition of the prisoners have also been raised. The letter refers to Armenians who were released and returned to Armenia on January 14, 2026, noting that their condition reflected the difficult circumstances of their detention. This has increased fears about the health and safety of those who remain in custody.

The situation has been made more serious by the absence of international oversight. The letter explains that the departure of the ICRC from Azerbaijan has left detainees without a reliable humanitarian presence. It also notes that independent monitoring systems inside the country have been weakened, leaving no effective international body able to check detention conditions, ensure access to legal support, or help maintain communication with families.

Families of the prisoners now depend on rare and brief phone calls as their only connection with their relatives. The letter warns that even this limited contact may soon be lost, increasing the sense of uncertainty and concern among families. The lack of information and monitoring is described as incompatible with basic standards of humane treatment under international humanitarian law.

In its appeal, SOAR calls on the ICRC to take several specific steps. These include restarting dialogue with Azerbaijani authorities to regain access to detention facilities, ensuring prisoners receive official documents about their cases in a language they understand, and protecting regular communication between detainees and their families.

The organization also urges the ICRC to monitor both the physical and mental health of the prisoners, especially those whose condition was already reported as poor upon their return to Armenia earlier this year, as well as those who have been held since 2020 and 2023.

The letter places the issue within a wider international context, pointing to recent discussions and agreements in other conflict situations. It mentions frameworks from 2025, including developments related to the Israeli-Palestinian situation and proposals connected to the war in Ukraine. These efforts are described as part of a growing global focus on humanitarian protections, including prisoner exchanges and the rights of detainees.

SOAR calls on the ICRC to use this broader momentum to act in the current case. The organization stresses that the rights and dignity of the prisoners must not be ignored and expresses readiness to support the ICRC with any information that may help.

The appeal ends with a message of trust in the ICRC’s long-standing role in protecting humanitarian principles and a request for a response. It is signed by Luciana Minassian, President of the Buenos Aires Chapter of the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief.

The situation of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan continues to draw attention from advocacy groups and families, as concerns grow over access, transparency, and basic humanitarian conditions.

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