Geneva – Lawyers have submitted a petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), demanding the immediate release of Vigen Euljekjian.
The legal representatives of 46-year-old Armenian tour guide Vicken Euljekjian, who has been arbitrarily detained in Azerbaijan, have officially appealed to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), calling for his immediate release. They cite serious violations of international law and the harsh detention conditions that endanger his life.
Euljekjian was arrested on November 10, 2020, in Shushi (Nagorno-Karabakh) — one day after the ceasefire that ended the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war. On June 14, 2021, the Baku Military Court sentenced him to 20 years in prison on charges of “mercenary activity” and “terrorism.” His lawyers argue that both his detention and conviction are arbitrary and violate the protection of fundamental human rights.
The petition, submitted by María Luciana Minasian (Argentina) and Aitor Martínez Jiménez (Spain), presents two main arguments:
- Violation of jurisdiction – Azerbaijan treated Euljekjian as a civilian. Still, it tried and sentenced him in a military court, in direct contradiction to the established precedent of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), which holds that military courts lack jurisdiction over civilians.
- Misapplication of the “mercenary” charge – Under the Geneva Conventions, Euljekjian, as an Armenian citizen, cannot legally be classified as a mercenary.
Additionally, the lawyers have requested the recusal of Working Group member Ganna Yudkivska due to a potential conflict of interest stemming from her professional ties with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and personal connections with Azerbaijan.
The petition also references the expert opinion of Luis Moreno Ocampo, founding Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as an official complaint filed by the Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ) in Los Angeles — an organization defending the rights of Armenians affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Luciana Minasian is an Argentine-Armenian lawyer representing Armenian victims, a professor of Genocide Studies at the University of Tucumán, and a candidate for the Senate of Buenos Aires.
Aitor Martínez is a Spanish lawyer and professor with extensive experience working with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. He has represented Julian Assange and other prominent figures worldwide, successfully bringing cases before the UN and other international tribunals. Martínez also serves as a legal counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) is an independent body of experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 1991 to investigate cases in which individuals are deprived of their liberty in violation of international human rights standards. It issues legal opinions, appeals, and recommendations, including those concerning release and compensation.