The family of Lebanese-Armenian Vicken Euljekjian, who is imprisoned in Baku, still has no verified updates apart from a single phone call he was permitted to make last week.
According to human rights advocate Luciana Minassian, communication with detainees in Azerbaijani prisons is extremely limited, leaving families in a prolonged state of uncertainty, reports Pastinfo.
Minassian said the family is pursuing all possible avenues to secure Vicken’s release at the highest political and diplomatic levels.
“We have sent two official letters to President Donald Trump via the White House, as well as a personal letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Letters were also addressed to the First Lady of the United States due to her involvement in humanitarian issues, particularly regarding the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. We’ve also contacted Argentine President Javier Milei, whose administration was already informed about the case.
We are doing everything within our capacity to monitor his situation and draw international attention to the urgency of his case,” Minassian stated.
She explained that the proper legal and procedural route for presenting recent developments—such as Vicken’s inability to walk, denial of medication, lack of food, and the absence of a wheelchair—is to submit this information as a supplement to the ongoing case before the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD).
“We’ve already started this process. Since there is an active case with WGAD, the correct approach is to provide updated information as new evidence, rather than launch a separate procedure, which might delay or complicate the review.
Regarding international organizations, unfortunately, they are no longer permitted to enter Azerbaijan for the purpose of visiting Armenian detainees or attending court proceedings. The expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross from Azerbaijan has created a complete vacuum of independent monitoring. This prevents UN observers, human rights NGOs, or medical personnel from accessing detention sites. Nonetheless, we remain in active contact with NGOs operating outside Azerbaijan.
For instance, Christian Solidarity International has been informed and has already issued public statements, fully aware of the seriousness of Vicken’s case. We continue cooperating with any organizations willing to provide international support,” the lawyer said.
Minassian also noted that there is currently no evidence that Vicken has received proper medical care.
“In fact, the family still hasn’t received his medical records, which are usually sent from Baku to Yerevan and then forwarded to the families of detainees. Since Vicken’s family resides in Lebanon, the documents should be routed through Armenia. Despite multiple requests, no one from Armenia has contacted Viken’s wife, Linda, or provided medical evaluations. The absence of these records puts us in a weaker position, as we lack access to critical information about his health,” she added.
It was previously reported that after 45 days of silence, Vicken Euljekjian finally called his wife and said his health had significantly worsened. He can no longer walk, and the prison staff has refused to provide the medication prescribed by a doctor.
