Armenian POWs Suffer Without Medical Care in Azerbaijani Jails, Families Warn

Since 2020, Lebanese-Armenian Vicken Euljeckjian has been held captive in Azerbaijan, where he suffers from severe pain but is denied medical care. His wife, Linda Euljeckjian, told The Armenian Report that he even attempted suicide. She added that all Armenian prisoners are in despair since contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been cut off by Baku. The ICRC had been their main source of food and basic supplies.

Another prisoner’s wife also told Linda that her husband is in pain and not receiving treatment, but she is too afraid to speak publicly. Vicken had informed the ICRC about his suicide attempt before the organization was forced to shut down its office in Baku on September 3. With this closure, Armenian captives have been left without any international monitoring or humanitarian protection.

Human rights advocates warn that Azerbaijani authorities are keeping prisoners in isolation, causing severe psychological distress. Several have already attempted suicide in recent weeks. Families say their loved ones sound weak and broken during rare and brief phone calls.

Azerbaijan officially admits to holding 23 Armenian captives, but the real number is much higher. The prisoners include former leaders of Artsakh such as three ex-presidents—Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan—parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, as well as soldiers and civilians. Their detention is part of Baku’s broader strategy to erase Artsakh’s leadership and intimidate the Armenian nation.

Siranush Sahakyan, president of the Center for International Comparative Law and legal representative of Armenian prisoners at the European Court of Human Rights, stress that Armenia could have taken stronger action. Under the 1963 Vienna Convention, countries without diplomatic ties can ask a neutral state to protect their citizens. Armenia could have requested Switzerland or another neutral country to safeguard its prisoners in Azerbaijan, but so far there is no evidence that this has been done.

Azerbaijan’s actions show that it is using Armenian hostages as political bargaining chips to pressure Armenia into concessions. The closure of the Red Cross office is a direct violation of humanitarian law and leaves prisoners in even greater danger.

The continued detention of Armenians, from Artsakh’s former presidents to ordinary civilians, proves that Azerbaijan is not seeking peace. Instead, it is using fear, blackmail, and human suffering to try to break Armenian resistance and erase Artsakh’s identity.

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