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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says its representatives visited detained Armenians in Azerbaijan on 24 and 25 December.
Zara Amatuni, ICRC Armenia Communications and Prevention Manager, told Armenpress that the ICRC representatives held private, separate conversations with the detainees.
"According to the procedures and format of our organization, members of our team held individual conversations with each of the detainees, naturally aiming to assess the conditions of detention, their health status, and the treatment they receive," Zara Amatuni said.
Given that the ICRC no longer has a presence in Baku, the visit was organized directly from Geneva, the organization’s headquarters.
"The ICRC is ready to continue working in this direction," Amatuni added.
The ICRC does not disclose details about the condition of the detainees.
One of the Armenians held in Azerbaijan, a 70-year-old man, was reportedly hospitalized after what the Azerbaijani government described earlier this week as a sharp deterioration in his health.
Azerbaijan has officially acknowledged holding 23 Armenian prisoners, five of whom were captured during the 2020 war, while the others—including former Karabakh leaders—were arrested in 2023 during the mass exodus of the Armenian population following the Azerbaijani takeover of Karabakh. The captives and POWs faced charges of terrorism and other criminal charges, and underwent what has been widely described as sham trials. They have denied wrongdoing.
Azerbaijani prosecutors have asked the court in Baku to sentence former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former army chief Levon Mnatsakanyan, former deputy army chief Davit Manukyan, former Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs David Babayan to life imprisonment. Prosecutors seek 20-year sentences for ex-presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan. The other prisoners face prison terms ranging from 16 to 20 years. Former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan’s trial is being held separately, and the prosecutor has also requested life imprisonment.