The relatives of Armenian prisoners held in Baku have been denied access to them for over two years. The families are deeply concerned about their health. The last time the Armenian prisoners had independent access was to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC was the only organization to visit their places of detention, but on September 3, 2025, it ceased operations in Azerbaijan at the request of the Azerbaijani government. This was stated in a statement by Ruben Vardanyan’s family.
“In these circumstances, the question of the legal status of prisoners, as it is considered under international humanitarian law, takes on particular significance. Veronika Zonabend appealed to Mirjana Spoljaric Eger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, for clarification on this matter.
We are publishing this letter and reiterating our request for clarification of the legal status of Armenian prisoners during their visits by ICRC representatives.
Dear President,
I am writing to you on behalf of my husband, Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen, philanthropist, and former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, who was unlawfully detained by Azerbaijani authorities on September 27, 2023, while crossing the border between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The role and mandate of the ICRC are truly exceptional and unprecedented.” In an era of atrocities, wars, and injustice, the ICRC remains a rare symbol of dignity, compassion, and humanity, fulfilling its noble mission to protect vulnerable people. The ICRC is one of the few international organizations whose members have not lost their sense of mission and continue to approach their work with compassion and care. We sincerely appreciate the visits of the Red Cross representatives to Ruben in the Azerbaijani detention center. For us, and I am sure for the families of other Armenian detainees, your visits are far more than just a formality.
I am writing to you fully aware of the ICRC’s humanitarian mandate, its long-established confidentiality, impartiality, and neutrality. At the same time, it is crucial for the families of those unlawfully detained to know the legal status of their relatives at the time of the ICRC representatives’ visit to Azerbaijan.
The need for clarification is even more pressing in light of the clearly flawed judicial processes in Azerbaijan, given the lack of fundamental safeguards during trials and the absence of factual and legal grounds for the charges. The suffering inflicted on their families as a result of unlawful detention and unfair trials is compounded by the Azerbaijani authorities’ public and regular labeling of these individuals as “terrorists,” distorting their status and disseminating misleading information.
In light of the above, I would respectfully request clarification on the specific legal status under which the ICRC delegates visited Ruben and the other Armenian detainees. Specifically, we wish to understand whether the ICRC considered them persons deprived of their liberty, whose deprivation of liberty was related to the armed conflict, and therefore whether they were considered prisoners of war, security detainees, internees, or had any other status under international humanitarian law.
Clarification of this issue is of paramount importance. It will provide the families with much-needed reassurance and understanding of how detainees are treated within the framework of international humanitarian law and the standards of ICRC humanitarian visits.
In conclusion, allow me to express my sincere gratitude for the compassion and dignity the Red Cross displays in its work. These are indispensable qualities that are sorely lacking worldwide.
In conclusion, I would like to address you not simply in the form of an official letter, but also on a deeply personal level, as an organization whose mission has always been to place human life, dignity, and justice above formalities and political considerations. For families like ours, who suffer the pain of the prolonged and unlawful detention of a loved one, the ICRC’s belief in humanity is a source of hope. I sincerely believe that this spirit will help you bring attention to what is happening to Ruben Vardanyan and other detained Armenians.
Sincerely,
Veronika Zonabend.”