David Vardanyan Discusses Ruben Vardanyan's Hunger Strike on France 24

Ruben Vardanyan, who has been unlawfully imprisoned by Azerbaijan and held in a Baku prison, was allowed to speak with his family on April 25. His relatives urged him to end his hunger strike due to his deteriorating health. During a brief conversation, they informed him about the growing international pressure on Azerbaijan from various officials around the world. Learning about the global movement for the release of Armenian prisoners and heeding his family's requests, Ruben reluctantly agreed to halt his hunger strike.

In connection with the situation, Ruben Vardanyan's eldest son, David Vardanyan, gave an interview to France 24. He expressed gratitude to the French authorities and people for their support. Answering questions regarding the timelines of his father’s trial and the declared hunger strike, David Vardanyan noted that the process is not transparent. “Since his arrest, we have had extremely little information about his condition and the trial. It was expected that the trial would take place in January, but it has arbitrarily been postponed to May. Last week, we learned that my father, who had not contacted the family for over two weeks, had declared a hunger strike since April 5. For more than two weeks, he had been deliberately deprived of the opportunity to communicate with his family, and his health was deteriorating. When international pressure increased, including from France, he was given the chance to have a phone conversation for the first time.”

David continued, “On April 25, my mother spoke with him, informed him about the international reactions, and mentioned that people like French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had made statements during the commemoration of the genocide victims, expressing profound concern for his health. She asked him to end the hunger strike for our sake. My father reluctantly agreed to suspend the hunger strike.”

When asked if Ruben Vardanyan had indeed ended the hunger strike, David replied, “Yes, temporarily, as we understand. But we continue to be extremely concerned about his health, as he has not received any medical assistance and is still isolated without proper medical examinations. Our concern for his health remains, but we hope that he will end the hunger strike.”

On the question of why Ruben Vardanyan decided to go to Nagorno-Karabakh, David stated that his father understood all the risks of this decision very well, not only for himself but also for the family. “The last time I personally spoke with him was in August 2022. He told me that there comes a time when certain things become more important than even one's own life, and you must be guided by those values and principles. He believed that 120,000 people could not simply be forgotten and abandoned. That is why he took the risk, to live with them and try to rescue them, to raise awareness about their terrible situation. Even now, in prison, he continues to fight for these people so that they are not forgotten.”

In response to the commentator’s question about what Europe can do, David Vardanyan pointed out that much is being done, although efforts are still not sufficient. “I feel that attitudes are changing, putting aside the realpolitik, which, as I understand it, is inevitable. I sense that the European public, with leaders like François Bellemare in the European Parliament, is truly showing that beyond pragmatic realities, there is also a human rights issue that cannot be ignored. Armenian prisoners are becoming a central issue in this discussion, so the topic must always remain on the agenda. The actions that took place in the European Parliament yesterday regarding political prisoners rightly raise the question of whether Azerbaijan can be a trustworthy partner if it continues to violate human rights. Europe’s voice is very important. France must not be alone in this. I hope these values will prevail, and Armenian prisoners will be released.”