BREAKING: Vagif Khachatryan, an Artsakh Armenian civilian held captive in Azerbaijan, has been urgently hospitalized after a sudden deterioration in his health. According to Azerbaijani media reports, on December 22 Khachatryan developed acute shortness of breath and heart pain. He was initially taken to a medical facility under the Ministry of Justice and subsequently transferred to a state hospital.
His condition is reported to be serious, and intensive care treatment is ongoing.
Khachatryan, a civilian from Artsakh, was sentenced on November 7, 2023, to 15 years in prison following what Armenian sources and human rights advocates describe as an illegal trial based on fabricated charges. Under the sentence, he is to serve the first five years in prison, followed by ten years in a high-security correctional facility.
He was forcibly abducted by Azerbaijani forces on July 29, 2023, from the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor while being transported for emergency heart surgery from Artsakh to Armenia during Azerbaijan’s 10-month blockade of Artsakh. The transfer was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which was unable to prevent his detention by Azerbaijani authorities.
Khachatryan has been charged with alleged war crimes, including claims of involvement in the Khojaly events, accusations widely described by Armenian officials as unfounded and politically motivated.
