Amid closing ICRC office in Azerbaijan, Armenian authorities obliged  to take urgent measures to protect Armenian prisoners of war

ArmInfo. The Armenian authorities are obliged to take urgent measures to provide additional protection to Armenian prisoners of war in the context of the closure of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in  Azerbaijan. This was written on his Facebook page by the head of the  Artsakh Union public organization, former state minister of Artsakh  Artak Beglaryan.

Beglaryan recalled that the ICRC has not visited Armenian prisoners  of war since June, and on September 3, the organization's office in  Azerbaijan was officially closed. "This means that since June, no  international body has had any contact with Armenian prisoners, which  further increases the risks of torture and even murder," the head of  the public organization warns.

In this vein, Artak Beglaryan drew attention to the fact that in the  current circumstances, not only the inaction of the Armenian  authorities in the issue of releasing Armenians held in Baku and the  legal protection of Armenian hostages, but also in ensuring their  physical safety, is condemned. He recalled that human rights  organizations and various figures warned about this back in March,  sending a clear written appeal to the Armenian Foreign Ministry to  contact a neutral country, for example, Switzerland, with the aim of  using their consular services.

"We also sent a letter to the Swiss Foreign Ministry, whose  high-ranking representative personally responded to us in writing. In  particular, he said that they are ready to carry out such a  humanitarian mission, but this requires a statement from the state.  And the trouble is that during these six months, the Armenian Foreign  Ministry has not contacted Switzerland with a request to provide  consular services to Armenian citizens held in Azerbaijani  captivity," Beglaryan complained.

He also drew attention to the fact that if the Armenian authorities  do not want to do this through Switzerland, they could easily turn to  the United States, with whose "sign of the cross", as the former  State Minister of Artsakh noted, they signed an agreement with  Azerbaijan that does not contain written or oral demands or even  requests for the return of the Armenian hostages. "Meanwhile, the  authorities convince us that they are allegedly making every effort  and raising the issue of releasing the captives at all meetings,  while they do not even want to ensure simple and unimpeded consular  access and international presence for our compatriots taken hostage,"  Beglaryan was indignant.

In turn, National Assembly deputy from the opposition faction "I have  the honor" Tigran Abrahamyan recalled that one of the Armenian  captives, Vigen Euljekchyan, has been on a hunger strike for more  than 20 days. According to the oppositionist, Euljekchyan's wife said  that she learned about this during a conversation with her husband on  the phone. "With this step, our compatriot is trying to draw the  attention of the international community to the Armenians illegally  held in Azerbaijani prisons. The current government, talking about  false peace and friendship, does not take serious steps to protect  the rights and ensure the repatriation of prisoners of war in  Azerbaijan, and forces the people there to resort to extreme and  life-threatening steps. Freedom for Vigen Euljekchyan and all  Armenians in Azerbaijani prisons," Abrahamyan concluded.

Vigen Euljekchyan is from Lebanon and has dual citizenship of Armenia  and Lebanon. He was captured by Azerbaijan on November 10, 2020.  After the ceasefire agreement, he and his wife went to Artsakh to  pick up their belongings and were captured. In June 2021, a military  court in Baku sentenced Vigen Euljekchyan, who was captured by the  Azerbaijani military in November 2020, to 20 years in prison under  the articles "mercenarism", "terrorism", "illegal crossing of the  state border of Azerbaijan". His wife was released from captivity  thanks to the efforts of the Speaker of the Federation Council  Valentina Matviyenko. It should be noted that 23 Armenians are  currently being held in Azerbaijani prisons, including 16 people  captured after the military attack of Azerbaijan on Artsakh on  September 19, 2023.  Among the captives are eight former Artsakh  officials: former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik  Harutyunyan, parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan, former state  minister Ruben Vardanyan, former commander of the Defense Army Levon  Mnatsakanyan, former deputy commander David Manukyan and former  foreign minister David Babayan.