Argentine Lawyer Raises Concern Over Situation of Armenian Prisoners in Azerbaijan
The following statement is authored by Argentine lawyer Luciana Minassian, who specializes in international humanitarian law. It addresses the current situation of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
I’m deeply alarmed by the situation of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, including Ruben Vardanyan.
On March 13, during a phone call with his family, Ruben attempted to publicly address Azerbaijan’s Ombudsperson, Sabina Aliyeva, after ten days of unsuccessful attempts to reach her through his lawyer, written requests, and phone calls. The call was forcibly terminated before he could finish his appeal.
This attempt came as a last resort. More than a month after the trials concluded, neither Ruben nor, to our knowledge, the other Armenian prisoners have received the official texts of their verdicts – not in Russian, Armenian, or Azerbaijani. They still do not know under which charges they were convicted, nor when or where they will be transferred.
I’m concerned by the current situation. The absence of reliable information about his condition and the condition of the other Armenian prisoners, combined with the dismantling of independent human rights mechanisms in Azerbaijan – including the departure of the International Committee of the Red Cross -leaves all prisoners without any meaningful institutional protection.
Families are left in uncertainty and distress, relying only on rare and brief phone calls as the last fragile link with their loved ones. We fear that even this minimal form of contact may soon be cut off entirely.
Transparency, access to information, and basic humanitarian safeguards must be ensured. The rights and dignity of these prisoners cannot remain in silence.
The fragile conditions of some detainees who returned to Armenia during January 14th, 2026, is overwhelming.
Azerbaijan must comply with humanitarian provisions included in President Trump’s draft of every peace agreement implemented during 2025, as seen on Phase 1 of hostages deal in Israel, and as seen on the proposed 20 points draft not signed but yes discussed for Ukraine, reassuring the pow and civilians exchange, and the return of Ukrainian children ( between 20.000 to 35.000 minors).
