Lebanese-Armenian Vicken Euljekjian’s Condition Critically Declines in Baku Prison

(Horizon Weekly) – The condition of Lebanese-Armenian hostage Vicken Euljekjian has taken a drastic turn for the worse inside an Azerbaijani prison, according to Armenian opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan. In a statement shared on social media, Abrahamyan reported that Euljekjian is now unable to walk and urgently requires medical attention – care that, he warns, is being deliberately withheld.

Abrahamyan said Euljekjian recently managed to speak with his family for the first time in weeks, and the brief conversation revealed a disturbing reality. “It is evident that Azerbaijani authorities are driving him toward a life-threatening state,” the MP stated, describing a pattern of neglect and abuse.

Euljekjian is among the illegally detained Armenian civilians held by Azerbaijan since the 2020 Artsakh war and its aftermath. Despite international humanitarian law, Baku continues to imprison Armenian captives – civilians and former officials alike – while denying them due process, adequate medical care, and communication with families. Numerous rights organizations and legal experts have identified these detentions as violations of the Geneva Conventions and part of a broader campaign of coercion and political pressure.

Abrahamyan also condemned the international actors who publicly applaud “peace initiatives” between Yerevan and Baku while avoiding the issue of Armenian hostages. “Those promoting peace continue to overlook the human suffering of Armenians held in Azerbaijani prisons, choosing instead to protect their geopolitical and economic agendas,” he said.

Euljekjian’s deteriorating condition highlights yet again the urgent need for sustained international scrutiny, concrete pressure on Baku, and the immediate release of all Armenian detainees whose imprisonment remains both unlawful and inhumane.