The united representatives of all Armenian churches worldwide have issued an urgent appeal to Christians around the world, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan.
Syeda Ghulam Fatima, 2016 Aurora Prize Finalist and Pakistani human rights activist, intends to travel to Baku in order to attend Ruben Vardanyan’s hearings. Free Armenian Prisoners reports on X.
Today is March 5th. I want to say a few words to you as Ruben Vardanyan, just as I am: as an Armenian, who speaks and thinks in Russian. As a man of the world, who is happily married, loves everyone, who has dedicated himself to self-education, and who lives with faith in God.
Many people have asked how Armenia can help secure the release of these Armenian Christians detained in Azerbaijan given there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In fact, there is much more that can be done by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan:
These days mark the 37th anniversary of the mass massacres of Armenians in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait on February 27–29, 1988.
A crime that has a precise legal classification in full accordance with the criteria of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was indeed genocide, committed over three days without hindrance and with impunity in a city located just 25 kilometers from the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku.
We are writing to you with deep concern regarding the health condition of Ruben Vardanyan, who has been on a hunger strike for over a week while being held in a Baku prison, as well as the situation of other Armenian political prisoners who are being illegally prosecuted in Azerbaijan.
According to public information, after a week of hunger strike, Mr. Vardanyan’s condition has deteriorated sharply, which is a direct life-threatening.
Ruben Vardanyan and all our other hostages and captives are being brutally tortured through fabricated Azerbaijani trials, aimed at fulfilling the Azerbaijani authorities’ thirst for revenge, resolving political issues, asserting their power at the expense of the Armenian people’s dignity, undermining our national consciousness, and deepening tension and division among us. These “trials” are necessary […]
The Genesis Armenia Think Tank/Foundation strongly condemns the prosecution and potential life imprisonment attempt against Ruben Vardanyan by the authorities in Baku.