Global Humanitarian and Business Leader,
Ruben Vardanyan, Demands Immediate
and Unconditional Release of All Armenian
Prisoners
YEREVAN,
Armenia, April 19, 2024 /CNW/ -- The family of
illegally detained philanthropist, Ruben
Vardanyan, announced today that he entered into a hunger
strike to demand the immediate and unconditional release of
himself, and the other Armenian prisoners illegally held
in Baku.
The hunger strike began on April 5,
2024, following repeated requests by Vardanyan and counsel
to provide a fair and transparent trial in a timely manner in line
with international legal standards. Tellingly, since his
hunger strike began, his family's regular phone calls with him have
been cut off, in clear violation of all international norms. The
original trial slated for January was extended without cause to
May.
Last September, armed forces of the government of Azerbaijan invaded the Armenian autonomous
region of Nagorno-Karabakh, triggering the exodus of the 120,000
inhabitants of the region. During the plight of the refugees,
Vardanyan and 7 other former officials were arrested and now face
spurious politically motivated charges. They are all political
prisoners.
"I am deeply concerned about the health and well-being of my
father," said David Vardanyan, one
of Mr. Vardanyan's sons. "For nearly 200 days, my family has not
seen my father. We have had absolutely no contact
with him since he launched his hunger strike on April 5th."
Vardanyan's hunger strike tragically coincides with the 109th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide which will occur on
April 24th, demonstrating
how Armenians continue to be targets of ethnic cleansing and are
still targeted for persecution around the world.
Ruben Vardanyan is a loving
husband and a father of four. He is also an influential Armenian
business leader, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Together
with his partners from around the world, he has driven more than
$1.5 billion toward advancing
economic development, addressing humanitarian challenges, and
supporting global education initiatives.
A former State Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from
November 2022-February 2023, Mr.
Vardanyan has been charged with false accusations, held in
conditions against international law, and faces a trial that will
not be up to international standards, especially regarding access
of international observers to the proceedings. In addition,
Mr. Vardanyan's case has been separated from the other seven
political prisoners, raising questions about whether he in
particular is being politically targeted.
"The illegal detention of Ruben and the other former leaders of
Nagorno-Karabakh is an egregious abuse of human rights and the
international justice system and must be ended," said Paul Polman, Selection Committee member of the
Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founded by Ruben Vardanyan. "The irony of this entire
situation is that Azerbaijan has
been selected to host COP 29 in a
blatant attempt to 'greenwash' their international reputation. COP
has a major focus on the interconnectivity of climate change and
human rights at a time when they are abusing both in plain
sight."
Mr. Vardanyan's family demands that:
- All illegally detained ethnic Armenian prisoners, including
Ruben Vardanyan, should be released immediately and
unconditionally.
- Should the illegal trials proceed, they must happen
before the prisoners' detention orders expire in May, must meet
global legal standards, and international observers and media must
be allowed to attend.
- The Azeri government must allow immediate access of the
International Red Cross to assess the wellbeing of Ruben and the
other prisoners. The family's access to telephone calls with Mr.
Vardanyan must be restored.
- Any peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan must include the release of all
ethnic Armenian prisoners.
- COP 29 should not proceed in
Azerbaijan without these steps
occurring.
For additional information go to
www.freearmenianprisoners.com
Media Contact
Jere Sullivan, Edelman Global
Advisory
Jere.sullivan@edelmanega.com
+1 (202) 425-9056
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/armenian-political-prisoner-initiates-hunger-strike-in-baku-according-to-free-armenian-prisoners-302122579.html
SOURCE Free Armenian Prisoners