The Risk Grows That He May Never Join Our Family: Vardanyan's Children’s Statement

Ruben Vardanyan’s children have issued a statement, which is presented below:

“We, the four children of Ruben Vardanyan, appeal to the leaders of the world, human rights defenders, and the media with an urgent request to help free our father and all Armenians from Azerbaijan's illegal detention. Since his abduction, we have been unable to establish contact with him and are extremely worried about our father’s health and life.

About a year ago, our father made a difficult decision to live with the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) because he wanted to protect the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh. His determination was so strong that he left everything behind and chose to live in hardships, sharing in the full weight of the blockade.

The latest aggression of the Azerbaijani authorities against Artsakh, which began on September 19, resulted in the forced displacement and emigration of the local population to Armenia. Among them was our father, who was specifically singled out and detained at the Azerbaijani checkpoint.

We do not want him to become another victim of the region’s political tensions, especially since his mission has always been to reduce precisely that tension and to find a peaceful solution to the prolonged conflict.

Our father is a humanitarian figure and has never been involved in military activities. He co-founded the 'Aurora' humanitarian initiative, one of the largest humanitarian foundations aimed at establishing peace and protecting human rights worldwide. It is for this purpose that he has made significant investments in the preservation of education and culture in the region, the restoration of churches, and the renovation of the mosque in Shushi over the last few decades.

A well-known and active Armenian leader in the field of humanitarian work is currently a victim of a protracted political conflict and an opaque justice system.

We thank all those who support and stand by us during this difficult time. This gives us strength, but we cannot be at ease until our father and the other captives are released. The risk grows daily that he may never join our family again.

As his children, we urge you to protect our father’s rights and the rights of all Armenians who have been illegally detained and to call for their prompt, safe, and unconditional release. No one should be detained or held criminally accountable for their beliefs, religion, or ethnic affiliation.

We pray for our father's safe return and ask for your help.”

It is noteworthy that we previously reported that Ruben Vardanyan, the State Minister of Artsakh, was arrested by Azerbaijani forces while crossing from Artsakh to Armenia. He has already been detained for four months and is accused of financing terrorism.