Armenian Prisoners Shot While Held in Azerbaijan, Evidence Shows

The situation of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan has become increasingly alarming. According to attorney and human rights activist Siranush Sahakyan, there are currently 23 Armenians confirmed to be held in Baku. Sahakyan, who serves as the President of the International Comparative Law Center and represents Armenian prisoners at the European Court of Human Rights, provided this information during a discussion on the rights of Armenian prisoners and hostages in Azerbaijani custody.

“This does not mean at all that only 23 Armenians were initially captured and are still being held in Azerbaijan,” Sahakyan stated. She showed serious concerns about war crimes committed against Armenian prisoners. In some cases, prisoners were reportedly shot, and their bodies were later handed over to Armenian authorities. Evidence shows that these individuals were captured in Azerbaijan, yet their deaths were not acknowledged by Azerbaijani authorities.

In addition to killings, many Armenian prisoners have been forcibly disappeared. Following their capture, information about these individuals was lost. Sahakyan emphasized that the Azerbaijani authorities deny any connection to the missing prisoners and refuse to provide information about their fate.

Under these conditions, there is no independent international organization able to track the missing prisoners or confirm whether they are alive. Human rights activists have documented at least 80 cases of forcibly disappeared Armenians, though the actual number could be significantly higher.

Among the 23 confirmed prisoners, eight are members of Artsakh’s military and political leadership, while five were captured during the 2020 war. Sahakyan stressed that Azerbaijan is illegally detaining both individuals captured during the 44-day war in 2020 and those taken into custody in 2023.

Sahakyan also mentioned that representatives of the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment have recently visited Azerbaijan. While the details of the meetings with Armenian prisoners are not yet disclosed, Sahakyan said a full statement would be issued in the future.

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