Armenian captive Euljeckjian calls family from Azerbaijani prison

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lebanese-Armenian detainee Vicken Euljeckjian, who is being held in an Azerbaijani prison, has managed to contact his family, though the items he requested cannot currently be delivered to him.

His wife, Linda Euljeckjian, told Pastinfo that Vicken called on October 10. “He said he was fine. He asked for cigarettes and potatoes, saying he couldn’t eat anything else and only wanted potatoes,” she said, adding that the family doesn’t know how to send the requested items.

Linda Euljeckjian said they reached out to human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan for clarification, but were told there is currently no means of sending any items to Vicken.

“We contacted Siranush Sahakyan and asked what options exist, but she said they can’t help at this stage. Since the Red Cross left Azerbaijan, there’s no organization that visits detainees there or can deliver food, clothing, or cigarettes,” Linda Euljeckjian explained.

The 46-year-old Vicken Euljeckjian holds both Armenian and Lebanese citizenship. He was kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10, 2020 — just one day after the Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire agreement that ended the 44-day war. He remains one of six civilian captives under Azerbaijani control. Euljeckjian has gone on hunger strike three times during his captivity.