Armenian POW Calls Family From Baku: ‘Send a Warm Hat, It’s Cold’ Yesterday, Madat Babayan, 72, a resident of Artsakh who has been held captive for over a year, called his family from his prison cell, asking for a warm hat due to the cold, according to his grandson, Alen Babayan. The family, through the Red Cross, periodically sends small packages of essential items such as cigarettes, candy, and warm clothes. They are now waiting for the next opportunity to send supplies, the Armenian RFL/RL service reported. Madat, originally from the village of Getavan in Martakert, was captured shortly after Azerbaijani forces entered the village at the start of renewed hostilities in September last year. Less than a month after his capture, Azerbaijani authorities had built a case against him, accusing him of involvement in the 1992 Khojaly events. In a video released by Azerbaijan, Madat appears, pointing to places where he allegedly “organized the murder of 150 Azerbaijanis and showed where they were buried.” The family, however, insists that Madat Babayan was never a soldier and never participated in combat. “Our grandfather was a cattle breeder with serious health problems, and he played no role in military activities or conflicts,” Alen Babayan said, adding that detainees in such conditions are often forced to say what their captors demand.
