Armenian Foreign Ministry Declines to Answer Questions Concerning Armenian Prisoners
The following is an English translation of an article originally published in Armenian by Azatutyun (RFE/RL’s Armenian Service) on September 1, 2026.
The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to say whether it has approached Baku regarding a visit by representatives of a third country to Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
Late last month, the Foreign Ministry reported that Armenia had approached a neutral country with a request to arrange a consular visit to Armenian prisoners held in Baku. At the same time, the Ministry stressed that Baku’s consent would be required for such a visit to take place.
Azatutyun sent an inquiry to the Ministry asking whether Armenia had already formally approached Azerbaijan regarding a visit to the Armenian prisoners by representatives of a third country. If so, what response had been received from Baku? The Ministry was also asked which country had agreed to visit the approximately 20 Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.
The Foreign Ministry did not answer any of Azatutyun’s questions.
“Efforts to address the issues concerning Armenian prisoners held in Baku are ongoing. Given the sensitivity of the matter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not consider it appropriate to disclose additional information regarding the work being carried out,” the Ministry said.
Siranush Sahakyan, a lawyer representing the interests of the Armenian prisoners, previously told Azatutyun that a visit to the 20 Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan is currently of critical importance, given that they have been in complete isolation since last year.
Some prisoners of war are able to speak with their families by telephone only once every 40 days, further compounding the difficulties faced by their families.
Sahakyan has also received information from relatives of the prisoners indicating that some of the Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijani prisons have sustained injuries. It is not possible, however, to determine whether those injuries were caused by violence.
“We have received reports of serious injuries among the prisoners,” Sahakyan said.
At the request of the Azerbaijani authorities, the Red Cross office in Baku was closed last year, leaving no possibility of obtaining independent information about the conditions in which the Armenian prisoners are being held or about their state of health.
