On March 16, the family of Ruben Vardanyan, who is being illegally held in Baku, issued a deeply concerning statement by releasing a voice message from Vardanyan addressed to Azerbaijan’s Ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva. In the recording, it is clearly audible that Vardanyan is being interrupted.

It is also alarming that one month after the publication of "verdicts," the Armenian prisoners held in Baku have still not received the texts of these "verdicts" in any language. According to human rights advocates, this situation could deprive them of even the possibility to appeal.

NEWS.am sent inquiries on this matter to various international organizations, embassies, and several Armenian state institutions, seeking to clarify what steps are being taken or can be taken in such a situation.

Vassilis Maragos, the European Union Ambassador to Armenia, has already responded to our inquiry.

The question addressed to the Ambassador was as follows:

"You have welcomed the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, but such a crucial issue as the humanitarian one remains unresolved. Furthermore, Armenian prisoners are deprived of any effective protection mechanism. Do you, as the EU Ambassador to Armenia, follow this issue? And considering that Armenia has no diplomatic representation in Azerbaijan, what mechanisms can the EU utilize to help protect the rights of Armenian prisoners?"

  In his response, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos assured that the EU is closely monitoring the situation.

"I would like to reassure you that the EU has been closely following Ruben Vardanyan's and other Armenian prisoners’ cases held in Baku prison," noted the Ambassador in his response to NEWS.am.

"Regarding the specific case, I wish to underline that the EU has welcomed the various aspects of the historic positive progress between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the past few months in their bilateral peace process. We hope that all remaining issues, including sensitive humanitarian ones, could be addressed between the two sides.

It is also our understanding that, as per public comments on the matter made by the Armenian authorities - the issue of Armenian detainees is being raised in the context of the bilateral peace process."