By Alexander Pracht
Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement Friday, drawing the international community’s attention to the plight of ethnic Armenian prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons in Azerbaijan, describing their ongoing trials as “staged” as well as pointing out procedural violations and torture.
“We are deeply concerned about the video recordings and photos from the trial of 23 ethnic Armenian prisoners,” the statement said.
The ministry pointed to reports from lawyers representing the detainees, including Ruben Vardanyan who is currently on hunger strike, mentioning “coercion, torture, and a clear deterioration in the detainees’ health.”
The Foreign Ministry added that these concerns are backed by the United Nations Committee Against Torture, as well as documented evidence of ill-treatment toward Armenian prisoners, reported by Human Rights Watch and other organizations. The statement also criticized Azerbaijani authorities for refusing to cooperate with international bodies, including the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.
The statement stressed that the detention of ethnic Armenian prisoners “is a gross violation of international humanitarian law,” citing violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the 1949 Geneva Convention, among other international agreements.
Armenian officials believe Azerbaijan is using the ongoing trial as “a tool of political pressure on Armenia,” noting that this issue is particularly sensitive for the prisoners’ families and society at large.
The ministry also expressed concern that these developments are happening amid persisting propaganda of ethnic hatred against Armenians in Azerbaijani media.
“Any comprehensive conflict settlement requires fostering a readiness for peace, and deliberately keeping humanitarian issues unresolved does not contribute to this goal — it only makes it less likely,” the statement concluded.
The prisoners in question include former political leaders of the now-defunct Nagorno-Karabakh republic, servicemen captured as prisoners of war during both the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the 2023 ethnic cleansing, as well as civilians. Ruben Vardanyan, the former cabinet leader of Karabakh, is being tried separately and faces a lifetime sentence on dozens of charges, including terrorism. Protesting the proceedings against him, he began a hunger strike last week and is now being forced to attend court sessions despite his worsening health condition.
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