The family of Ruben Vardanyan, a well-known Armenian businessman and philanthropist and former state minister of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who is illegally held in Azerbaijan's capital city Baku, has issued a rather worrying statement today, and publicized Vardanyan's audio message to Azerbaijani Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva.

The recording clearly shows Vardanyan being interrupted.

It is also worrying that a month after the issuing of the court "verdicts," the Armenian captives in Baku have still not received the texts of these "verdicts" in any language. According to human rights activists, this may even deprive them of the opportunity to appeal them.

The only international humanitarian organization with access to Armenian captives in Azerbaijan, the International Committee of the Red Cross, has suspended its activities there since September 3, 2025, at the request of the Azerbaijani government. The removal of this humanitarian organization has left the Armenian captives in Azerbaijan in a completely defenseless state.

“We also fear that even brief phone calls — the only remaining means of contact — may be cut off entirely,” also reads the aforesaid statement of Ruben Vardanyan’s family.

Armenian News-NEWS.am has already sent inquiries on this topic to various international organizations, embassies, as well as a number of Armenia’s organizations, trying to find out what steps are being taken—or can be taken—in such a situation.