By Lia Avagyan
Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) held in Azerbaijani detention, has ended his 23-day hunger strike. In an audio message shared with his family and published on his Facebook page, Vardanyan reassured supporters about his condition.
“Today is March 12, the 23rd day of my hunger strike. I am in excellent condition. Don’t worry, everything is fine. I understand what I’m doing and why, and I thank everyone for your support and concern,” Vardanyan said in the Russian-language message.
Vardanyan explained that his hunger strike had several objectives: “I wanted to show that there is no real trial taking place, only a formal proceeding. I wanted to demonstrate that they are not just putting me on trial, but all Armenians and the state itself. I wanted to reveal the price that would have been paid by those who wished to stay and live in Artsakh rather than leave.”
He warned against complacency regarding Armenia’s future: “Those who frighten you with another military war are misleading you again. In today’s world, there are many other ways to lose the right to have your own state. It’s no longer necessary to conquer through military means. War continues in different forms – through technology, finance, economic dependence, infrastructure, information, and political conflicts – without firing a single shot.”
“By losing Artsakh, we will lose Armenia in the coming years if we don’t fundamentally change our attitudes toward concepts like elite, government, state, and who should lead us. Listen to me and think about this while there is still time,” he added.
Vardanyan was detained by Azerbaijan in late September 2023, following Azerbaijan’s one-day military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19-20, 2023. This action led to the ethnic cleansing of the region’s entire Armenian population, with Azerbaijan taking the former military-political leadership hostage.
Among those detained are three former presidents—Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan—as well as Speaker of the National Assembly Davit Ishkhanyan, former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, former commander of the Artsakh Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, Deputy Commander Davit Manukyan, and former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan.
They all face severe charges including terrorism, leadership of illegal armed groups, and other offenses that envisage up to life imprisonment. The trials are conducted with serious procedural violations and under duress, through what appear to be fabricated judicial processes.
Azerbaijan officially acknowledges holding 23 Armenian hostages, some dating back to the 2020 war.
European Parliament Resolution
In a parallel development, the European Parliament today adopted a resolution addressing the trials of Armenian prisoners illegally detained in Baku, calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
The resolution passed with overwhelming support: 523 votes in favor, 3 against, and 84 abstentions.
Miriam Lexmann, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Armenia and a co-author of the resolution, condemned the trials as politically motivated and inhumane. She criticized Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s regime for disregarding international obligations and hindering regional peace efforts.
Fellow co-author Nathalie Loiseau compared the trials in Baku to Stalinist-era prosecutions, arguing that the prisoners’ only crime is their Armenian identity. She urged EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to visit Armenia and witness the country’s pro-European aspirations firsthand.
Several other deputies called for stronger EU measures against Azerbaijan, including sanctions, and criticized the EU’s energy dependence on Baku. They emphasized that Azerbaijani gas should not take precedence over human rights and European values.
EU Commissioner of Energy Dan Jørgensen stated that the European Commission is closely monitoring the trials of 16 Armenians in Baku’s military court. He reiterated the EU’s commitment to ensuring fair trials and dignified conditions for detainees, urging Azerbaijan to uphold its international obligations.
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