Abraham Tachjian

Armenian hostages illegally held in Azerbaijan have been subjected to torture targeting their Christian identity, including having crosses tattooed on their bodies burned from their skin, human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan said. “There have been cases where hostages were forced to read the Quran. If there was a cross tattooed on the body, it was removed through torture,” Sahakyan said. Sahakyan, president of the International and Comparative Law Center and legal representative of Armenian hostages before the European Court of Human Rights, said the targeting of Christian identity has also included denying Bibles and confiscating religious symbols. She first raised the issue publicly in January, saying Bibles had been prohibited for Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenian hostages even though other books were allowed, and that Christianity itself had become a factor in their treatment. The abuse extends beyond religious persecution. Sahakyan said Armenian hostages have suffered fractures as a result of beatings, while concerns remain over deteriorating health and inadequate medical care. Medical personnel are not present at the detention facility at all hours, and treatment in serious cases is often limited to medication that temporarily eases symptoms rather than addressing underlying conditions. The hostages also remain largely cut off from independent outside contact, without physical access to relatives, independent doctors, lawyers, consular representatives or the International Committee of the Red Cross. The torture targeting Christian symbols comes against the backdrop of the destruction and alteration of Armenian Christian heritage across occupied Artsakh, where churches, cemeteries and other religious sites have been destroyed, damaged or stripped of their Armenian identity under Azerbaijani control.