On September 30, 2023, Azerbaijan’s President IlhamAliyev signed an order on the allocation of funding to the United Nations Human SettlementsProgramme (UN-Habitat).
As the four children of Ruben Vardanyan we respectfully call upon the world leaders, advocates for human rights, and the media to urgent help to free our father from illegal detention in Azerbaijan. We are concerned about his health and arbitrary treatment and have not been able to communicate with him since his capture. We fear for his wellbeing and risk to his life.
The recent arrest by the government of Azerbaijan of philanthropist, businessman, Armenian citizen and co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Ruben Vardanyan, is both outrageous and politically motivated. As members of the global humanitarian and human rights community we call for his immediate release.
Ruben Vardanyan stands out as an outspoken advocate for peace not only in our region but in the world. He is a world known philanthropist, businessman and co-founder of the Aurora Prize humanitarian initiative which advocates for peacebuilding and provides people around the world with education and healthcare.
The announcement is open to anyone who wants to join. Both media representatives and public figures can join.
Azerbaijani telegram channels report that Vardanyan was arrested by Azerbaijani forces.
Last week, Armenians worldwide experienced one of the biggest tragedies of their lives after Azerbaijan occupied Artsakh.
Delay may cost lives for Artsakh, which has already suffered incalculable human losses in recent days.
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the delegation led by Samantha Power, head of the USAID. Yuri Kim, the US acting assistant secretary of state, was also in the delegation.
Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, handed a letter from U.S. President Joe Biden to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
