He Wanted a Better Life in His Homeland. He Got a 20-Year Sentence in Azerbaijan for Being Armenian

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: In a quiet pet shop in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon, a mother and daughter fight to rebuild their lives—one customer at a time. But their hearts remain in a prison cell hundreds of miles away, where Vicken Euljeckjian, an Armenian and Lebanese citizen, has been unjustly imprisoned in Azerbaijan since 2020. His only crime: being Armenian.

This is the story of a husband’s suffering, a wife’s strength, and a family’s four-year struggle for justice—one that speaks to the pain of many Armenian families still waiting for the return of their loved ones.

A Hunger Strike for a Three-Minute Call

Two weeks ago, Linda Euljeckjian finally heard her husband’s voice for the first time in months. But the call didn’t come easily. Vicken, now 45, went on a 15-day hunger strike just to be allowed a brief phone call with his wife. The call lasted only three minutes.

“It was heartbreaking,” Linda told The Armenian Report. “He was desperate to hear my voice. That’s all he wanted. Just a phone call.”

Even that basic human right had to be fought for with starvation. And the punishment didn’t end there. Following the hunger strike, Vicken was reportedly transferred to a prison hospital unit. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) later informed Linda that he was battling severe depression.

Vicken's emotional state changes with each call, Linda says. “Sometimes he sounds sad. Sometimes he’s angry. He’s under enormous pressure. And with just a few minutes, there’s barely enough time to understand how he’s really doing.”

Since March 2024, the ICRC has been banned from operating in Azerbaijan, leaving prisoners like Vicken even more isolated. No visits. No monitoring. No protection. And no connection to their families—except through desperate acts like hunger strikes.

A Life Uprooted

Linda and Vicken’s story began in Lebanon. In 2018, Vicken moved to Armenia looking for better job opportunities and a more secure life for his family. But in the chaos that followed Azerbaijan’s second large-scale attack on Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, Vicken was captured.

He had returned to Shushi to collect his belongings the day after the November 9 ceasefire when Azerbaijani forces detained him. A sham trial followed, where Vicken was sentenced to 20 years in prison on false charges of being a “mercenary and terrorist”.

Since then, Linda and their daughter Christine have faced immense hardship. “Our lives changed forever,” Linda said. “I became very sick. Christine had to leave school to work and support us.”

The family tried multiple small businesses to survive but fell deeper into debt. Their most recent effort is a small pet shop named Simba, a hopeful name in a difficult time. “We’re still in the early stages. We have hope. But life is very hard,” Linda told us.

In 2023 and 2024, the Armenian government provided them with financial support. That lifeline, however, was recently cut, leaving Linda to rely solely on her job and the struggling shop to stay afloat.

Broken Promises and Growing Despair

In December 2023, there was a spark of hope. Vicken was supposed to be among 32 Armenian prisoners released by Azerbaijan. But at the last moment, his name was removed from the list.

“We were devastated,” Linda said. “It was like the floor disappeared beneath our feet.”

That moment of betrayal has become a symbol of the uncertainty that defines life for the families of Armenian hostages. Each day without action is another day of pain. Another day of silence.

International Law, Ignored

International humanitarian law gives prisoners the right to regular contact with their families. But Vicken and at least 23 other Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan are being denied that right.

After Vicken’s hunger strike became public earlier this month, the Buenos Aires chapter of the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (SOAR) issued an urgent appeal to the ICRC, describing his protest as “a silent but deeply painful plea for a phone call to his wife.”

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) has also taken up his case as part of the Libertas campaign, advocating for the release of Armenian prisoners. In March 2025, CSI hosted a special event at the United Nations Human Rights Council, demanding urgent action.

But awareness alone is not enough. “We are grateful for the attention,” Linda told us. “But we need real action. We need the world to stand up for these prisoners and bring them home.”

How You Can Help

• Contact international organizations and urge them to pressure Azerbaijan to release the prisoners.

• Share Vicken’s story to raise awareness in your community.

• Support NGOs like CSI and SOAR that are actively advocating for Armenian detainees.

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