Ruben Vardanyan Urges Armenian Authorities to Secure Family Visits for POWs in Azerbaijan

From a prison cell in Baku, Ruben Vardanyan has called on Armenian authorities to take steps to secure family visits for Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan. His message was shared through relatives following a phone call and made public on Tuesday.

In his appeal, Vardanyan addressed Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan. He said that Azerbaijan’s ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva had told him that a possible meeting between the two officials could take place in Baku in the near future. Vardanyan urged Manasyan to accept the invitation and to bring relatives of Armenian prisoners with her if the visit happens.

“Any such delegation must have an institutional and consistent character, with the political backing of the Prime Minister of Armenia, who bears responsibility before the citizens of his country,” he said.

Vardanyan raised concerns about the current conditions faced by Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan. He said that there is no longer outside monitoring after the International Committee of the Red Cross was expelled from the country last year. According to him, the absence of the organization has cut off important humanitarian channels, including communication with families and independent observation of detainees.

He also criticized Armenia’s ombudsperson’s office, saying it has not created another system to replace this missing oversight. He described the situation as a lack of initiative and also criticized the Armenian government for what he called a failure to act in the interests of its citizens.

Vardanyan, a businessman who briefly served as State Minister of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Republic after the 2020 war, was detained by Azerbaijan in October 2023. In February, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Azerbaijani authorities. The charges include financing terrorism, forming illegal armed groups, and illegally crossing the state border. He rejects these accusations and says they are politically motivated.

During the same period, Azerbaijan also sentenced seven other former Karabakh leaders who remain in custody. Among them, former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan each received 20-year prison terms, while others were given life sentences.

Earlier this year in January, Armenia managed to secure the release of four civilian detainees. Officials in Yerevan have said that negotiations with Baku are ongoing regarding the remaining prisoners.

Speaking at an international gathering in Istanbul last week, Armenia’s National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan called on Azerbaijan to release Armenian captives. However, Azerbaijani officials have indicated that the release of former Karabakh leaders is not currently being considered.

The situation of Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan remains a serious humanitarian and political issue, with calls growing for renewed international attention and concrete steps to restore contact between prisoners and their families.

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