Humanitarian Mission Planned for Armenian Detainees in Azerbaijan Seeks International Support

A planned humanitarian mission to Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan has entered a new phase after the wife of imprisoned Armenian businessman and former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan formally appealed to international organizations and government leaders for support.

In a new public statement, Zonabend said she has formally asked several international and state institutions to support the planned women's delegation to Baku. She said the initiative is humanitarian in nature and is intended to provide direct contact with Armenian detainees who have spent extended periods in detention.

The proposed delegation plans to meet with Azerbaijan's human rights ombudsman, visit Armenian prisoners, and deliver letters, family photographs, and other personal items permitted under Azerbaijani law.

Zonabend said she chose to pursue the effort through official diplomatic channels to ensure the mission is carried out transparently and safely. She stressed that clear guarantees are needed at every stage, from entering Azerbaijan and gaining access to detainees to ensuring the safe return of everyone taking part.

To advance the initiative, Zonabend sent open letters to Azerbaijan's Human Rights Commissioner, Sabina Aliyeva, asking her office to assist in organizing the visit. She also appealed to International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, requesting the organization's guidance, participation, or other support consistent with its humanitarian mandate.

She separately called on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to help coordinate the effort and appealed to European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to encourage diplomatic engagement from European institutions.

"For those held in prolonged detention, an initiative of this kind carries profound significance," Zonabend said. "Their condition, the conditions of their detention, and their connection to their families must not be left unaddressed."

She said families have a basic right to know the fate of their loved ones, send them messages of encouragement, and reassure them that they have not been forgotten.

The latest appeal builds on an initiative Zonabend announced on June 15, when she revealed plans to lead an international women's humanitarian delegation to Azerbaijan amid growing concerns over the situation of Armenian detainees.

At the time, she said her campaign extended far beyond her husband's case. According to Zonabend, 18 other Armenians remain imprisoned in Azerbaijan, with many families unable to communicate regularly with their relatives or obtain reliable information about their condition.

She has also argued that humanitarian access has become increasingly limited since the International Committee of the Red Cross closed its office in Baku, leaving families with fewer independent channels to reach detained relatives.

Zonabend has consistently described the proposed mission as a humanitarian effort rather than a political one, saying its goal is to preserve contact between detainees and their families during prolonged detention. She has also launched an international letter-writing campaign, inviting supporters to send messages that organizers hope to deliver during the visit, along with family care packages if access is granted.

The participants expected to join the delegation have not yet been publicly identified.

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