By Alexander Pracht
A coalition of human rights activists has urged the European Union, France, and Germany to take immediate action against Azerbaijan over the treatment of Armenian detainees during a demonstration held in central Berlin Monday.
Protesters denounced the inhumane conditions in which prisoners are being held, with reports of torture and mistreatment. “Ruben Vardanyan’s life is in serious danger. We cannot remain silent,” said Jonathan Spangenberg, president of the Central Council of Armenians in Germany.
Organizers also called on European citizens to raise awareness and pressure their governments to respond to these human rights violations.
The rally drew attention to Azerbaijan’s violations of international law, citing the United Nations Genocide Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. Activists called for targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for the detentions, international monitoring of Azerbaijani prisons, the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian detainees, and mechanisms to protect displaced Armenians and preserve Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The protest comes ahead of a key discussion in the European Parliament on Wednesday, where the issue of Armenian detainees in Baku will be debated. According to the Parliament’s website, the discussion is titled “Azerbaijan’s illegal detention of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, and sham trials.” A resolution vote on the matter is expected on Thursday.
Baku acknowledges holding 23 Armenian prisoners, but Armenian sources have documented evidence that at least 32 more detainees remain in Azerbaijani custody. In September 2023, following the nine-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and the ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population, Azerbaijan has captured numerous former leaders of the now-defunct Artsakh republic, including its former cabinet leader, Ruben Vardanyan, who has been on hunger strike for three weeks. They face a series of fabricated charges, some carrying life imprisonment sentences.
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