ArmInfo. Former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, imprisoned in Azerbaijan, was allowed to
talk to his family after 21 days in isolation.
as a statement Vardanyan's office reports: "Family members confirmed
today that thanks to the growing international public and government
awareness, illegally detained philanthropist, Ruben Vardanyan, was
granted permission to speak to his wife, Veronika, today. This marks
only his second call to his family after nearly three weeks of
incommunicado detention since Mr. Vardanyan launched his hunger
strike on April 5. The strike began on April 5, 2024, after
requests were repeatedly ignored for a fair and transparent trial to
be held in a timely manner in line with international legal
standards. His trial was originally slated for January, but then
extended to May without cause. The family was finally able to plead
with Mr. Vardanyan to end the hunger strike in light of his
deteriorating health condition. In their brief conversation they were
able to inform him of the growing pressure on Azerbaijan from
government officials around the world. After hearing of this global
movement to free Armenian prisoners and after listening to his
family's pleas, Mr. Vardanyan reluctantly agreed to pause his hunger
strike for his family's sake. Mr. Vardanyan remains in captivity in
Baku and faces worsening prison conditions. After his hunger strike
began, he was denied regular telephone calls with family, adding to
the list of Azerbaijan's violations of international norms. Mr.
Vardanyan was also shifted to complete isolation with no access to
appropriate health care beyond occasional evaluations of his blood
pressure. Serious concerns remain about the true state of his health
condition. "We are gravely concerned about my father's deteriorating
health, though we are not surprised by his bravery," said David
Vardanyan, one of Mr. Vardanyan's sons. "Despite our initial relief,
my father's conditions are only worsening. The world has shown
Azerbaijan that it is watching the fate of the Armenian prisoners,
including my father, and from our family I want to thank everyone for
their support at this difficult time. I hope that this growing
international attention may lead to his release in the nearest
future. We urge the international community to further increase the
pressure on Azerbaijan to ensure that at least his trial takes place
in May 2024 with international observers." Mr. Vardanyan is one of
eight former officials arrested last September when armed forces of
the Azerbaijani government invaded the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
triggering the mass exodus of the 120,000 inhabitants. Now more than
200 days later, the eight Armenian leaders face a series of
politically motivated charges. Mr. Vardanyan is a well-known
Armenian philanthropist and businessman, a father of four and a
loving husband who has been illegally detained for over 200 days. He
is now charged with false accusations and held in poor conditions.
His trial is not expected to adhere to international standards,
including those that ensure international observers are granted
access to the proceedings. Mr. Vardanyan's case is also separated
from the other seven political prisoners, prompting questions about
whether he is being politically singled out," the source notes.
