A NEWS.am interview with Siranush Sahakyan, representative of the interests of Armenian prisoners of war and detainees before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
– Ms. Sahakyan, in August, you and Veronika Zonabend — the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently detained in Baku — held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a previous interview with us, you mentioned raising several humanitarian issues concerning the conditions of detention, including support for the initiative of an international women’s humanitarian mission to Baku. Have you received a response, and if so, what details can you share?
– Yes. On August 17, Veronika Zonabend and I met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Interdepartmental Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons to discuss the condition of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan.
We presented detailed information regarding their detention conditions and other humanitarian concerns, while also addressing Ms. Zonabend’s initiative regarding the objectives and potential support for a humanitarian mission. Subsequently, we submitted formal written inquiries to both bodies, anticipating an official response.
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Regrettably, I have nothing new to report. The statutory deadlines for a response have expired, yet we have received no reply, despite assurances from meeting participants that this issue was a matter of top priority and high on their agenda.
We must unequivocally state one fundamental truth: there must be no delay in humanitarian matters. The Armenian captives in Baku remain in complete isolation; representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross last visited them nearly a year ago, in December of 2025. The reports received from their families are deeply alarming, and I do not believe that relegating this issue to silence is an effective strategy in this situation.
Furthermore, out of respect for the families of the captives, we must recognize that as long as their loved ones are unlawfully detained in Azerbaijani prison, these families have every right to demand effective measures for their release. The state has a positive obligation to protect its citizens, and the government is duty-bound to not only answer the letters of the captives’ relatives, but also proactively initiate these meetings itself.