Background

Human rights violations
in Azerbaijan

The conditions of the Armenian prisoners’ detention are deeply concerning. Azerbaijan has neglected to provide information on the health and well-being of these individuals. In April 2024, following Ruben’s hunger strike, his family and international counsel learned that he was placed in a punishment cell and subject to extreme treatment that amounts to torture. This includes being denied access to drinking water for over two full days; deprived of sleep through light exposure; and being forced to stand for extended periods of time. Of particular concern, Ruben was also denied access to his lawyer and held in incommunicado detention. This is a horrific situation and his family remain unaware of the full extent of his resulting psychological and physical trauma.

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Unfortunately, Ruben’s mistreatment comes as no surprise. Azerbaijan has a well-documented history of torturing political prisoners, particularly ethnic Armenian detainees. Given Ruben’s ethnicity, his status as a former high-level official in the Government of Nagorno-Karabakh, his outspoken criticism of Azerbaijan’s treatment of Nagorno-Karabakh and its people, and his detention at the hands of the State Security Service (which is notorious for the torture of ethnic Armenians), he is at imminent risk of further torture and ill-treatment.

Treatment like this violates Azerbaijan’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture, as well as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).

Azerbaijan must stop these human rights abuses and respect international human rights law on which peace and stability depend.

These individuals are being detained in clear violation of domestic and international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It’s shocking to see Azerbaijan listed as a party to these frameworks yet choosing to violate them so blatantly.

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