Around 80 Armenians Subjected to Forced Disappearances, Sahakyan

Armenians held in Baku are constantly under real threats to their lives. This was stated by Siranuhi Sahakyan, a representative for the interests of prisoners at the European Court, during a panel discussion on Armenian prisoners held in Baku.

According to her, there are several dozen recorded cases where individuals have been killed during their captivity. "The issue of prisoners is significantly related to the problem of forced disappearances, as although we do not have evidence of the murders of prisoners, we have cases where dozens of Armenians, around 80 individuals, have been subjected to enforced disappearances.

On a positive note regarding the prisoners, we currently have about 210 Armenians who have been repatriated, including those who were captured by Azerbaijani authorities due to border incidents prior to the 44-day war in 2020. Around 23 Armenians continue to be held in Baku. Notably, 5 of these were captured during the 2020 conflict, while the remaining incidents have occurred in 2023. Out of the 23, 7 are part of concluded trials, with convictions against them. According to Azerbaijan, these individuals are convicted Armenians who have committed serious crimes. The basis for these convictions is founded on false charges such as genocide or committing war crimes during the first war," Sahakyan stated.