Armenian Officials Pressed by Ruben Vardanyan’s Wife and Attorney for Concrete Action on POWs Held in Azerbaijan

The wife of imprisoned Armenian businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan and a lawyer representing Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan have asked the Armenian government for more direct involvement in humanitarian issues affecting detainees, including medical care, family contact and conditions at Baku’s Umbaki prison complex.

Veronika Zonabend and attorney Siranush Sahakyan met Aug. 17 with officials from Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, the Office of the Human Rights Defender and the interagency commission responsible for prisoners of war, hostages and missing persons.

Sahakyan, who represents Armenian prisoners before the European Court of Human Rights and heads the Center for International and Comparative Law, confirmed the meeting in comments to The Armenian Report.

The talks came after Zonabend sent letters to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July 8 and July 31 seeking government engagement on issues surrounding the prisoners.

Sahakyan said the meeting focused on practical concerns facing Armenians held at Umbaki, including their health, detention conditions and access to their families.

“We raised a number of humanitarian issues concerning Armenian prisoners held at Azerbaijan’s Umbaki prison complex, including their detention conditions, physical condition and the need for medical supervision, as well as the possibility of delivering parcels and letters and maintaining contact with their families,” Sahakyan told The Armenian Report.

Information provided by prisoners’ families was also presented to Armenian officials, she said.

“We also shared information received from the prisoners’ families regarding their conditions of detention and said that we expect support and concrete efforts from the Armenian side to ensure that the prisoners’ detention conditions comply with international standards,” Sahakyan said.

According to Sahakyan, representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the interagency commission said the humanitarian issues remain under review and that efforts are underway to address them.

The two sides also discussed Zonabend’s proposal to organize an international women’s humanitarian mission to Baku.

As part of that effort, Zonabend asked the government to name an official by the end of August who would serve as a regular point of contact. The proposed channel would cover not only the planned mission but broader humanitarian concerns involving Armenians imprisoned in Azerbaijan.

Government representatives agreed to consider the requests and provide a response, Sahakyan said. They also pledged to share the contact information of the designated official once one is appointed.

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