Armenian Detainees Appeal to Azerbaijani Rights Commissioner

Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently detained at the Umbaki penitentiary complex, has issued a direct appeal to Sabina Aliyeva, the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan. According to reports from GN geopolitics/rights (en-US), Vardanyan recorded this message on September 16, 2026, addressing Aliyeva’s previously stated willingness to assist with matters concerning the rights of convicted Armenian citizens. He asserts that several fundamental provisions of Azerbaijani law are not being upheld for the nineteen Armenian men held at the facility.

The appeal references the Code on the Execution of Sentences and a rights booklet distributed by the Commissioner’s office in April. Vardanyan emphasizes that these legal protections should apply uniformly, regardless of the specific charges, ethnicity, religion, or citizenship of the individuals involved. He argues that the current conditions contradict the documented standards agreed upon by the state itself.

Cited violations include communication and medical access

Among the specific grievances listed are severe restrictions on contact with family members. Vardanyan notes that some detainees have been unable to make weekly telephone calls or conduct video calls, leaving some without visual contact with their children for nearly three years. Furthermore, he reports an inability to obtain medical tests, even when willing to pay for them out of pocket.

Administrative hurdles also feature prominently in the complaint. The refusal of notarial services has prevented detainees from executing powers of attorney for their families, complicating legal and financial matters outside the prison. Additionally, physical exercise opportunities are reportedly limited to twenty to forty minutes once a week, significantly below the one hour per day mandated by regulations. Written responses to formal applications and complaints are also noted as absent.

Loss of international oversight complicates family contact

The situation has been further complicated by the closure of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in Azerbaijan. According to Vardanyan, this has severed a primary channel for communication between detainees and their families. Most prisoners report receiving no parcels, and many lack the funds to purchase food in the prison shop or pay for telephone calls, leading to a state of financial and social isolation.

Vardanyan highlights the unheeded initiative of Veronika Zonabend, who has offered to travel to Baku to meet with the Commissioner and the detainees. She expressed readiness to deliver over a thousand letters, parcels, and essential items. However, her appeals have reportedly gone unanswered, and no alternative mechanism for delivering these supplies has been proposed by the authorities.

Call for direct engagement with detainees

The appeal concludes with a request for the Commissioner to meet directly with the detainees and provide a substantive response to the raised concerns. Vardanyan urges the official to adhere to the country’s own legal framework, stating that compliance with domestic law is the primary expectation regardless of the duration of their detention. The forward question now centers on whether the Azerbaijani government will engage with this specific list of grievances or maintain the current administrative stance.