Family of Armenian POW Loses All Contact for Over a Month After Health Collapse, Lawyer Urges Azerbaijan to Respect Basic Human Rights

The family of an Armenian prisoner held in Azerbaijan says it fears for his life after losing all contact with him for more than a month, following reports that his health has sharply deteriorated.

Ludwig Mkrtchyan, 56, has been imprisoned in Baku for nearly six years. His attorney, Lusiana Minasyan, is urging Azerbaijani authorities and President Ilham Aliyev to immediately allow him to speak with his family, saying even a single phone call is a basic humanitarian measure.

According to Minasyan, Mkrtchyan's wife, Hranush Shahbazyan, last spoke with him on June 19. During that conversation, he said he had collapsed after suffering severe weakness and a sudden decline in his health. He told her he had been taken for a cardiac examination.

Since then, the family says it has received no information about his condition. Azerbaijani authorities have not provided a medical diagnosis or any official explanation, and communication with Mkrtchyan has been completely cut off.

Minasyan said the most recent medical information available indicates that Mkrtchyan is suffering from inflammatory complications, repeated abnormalities in his vital health indicators, and serious heart disease, including left ventricular hypertrophy.

She said allowing him to make at least one phone call to his wife would be the minimum demonstration of respect for human dignity and would give his family a chance to confirm that he is alive and conscious.

The case adds to growing concerns over the welfare of Armenians held in Azerbaijani custody. According to official figures, 19 Armenian prisoners remain in Baku's prisons, including the former political and military leaders of Artsakh, many of whom have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Armenian officials, lawyers representing the detainees, and international human rights advocates have repeatedly called for transparency regarding the prisoners' health, access to their families and legal counsel, and compliance with international humanitarian standards.

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