Letters Not Reaching: Baku Has Isolated Ruben Vardanyan

Former State Minister, businessman, and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, who is being held in Baku, has informed his family that he has sent numerous letters over the past six months, yet none have reached the recipient. This was stated by Vardanyan's son, Davit Vardanyan, in an interview with RTVI television.

According to Davit Vardanyan, letters can only be sent through the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has very strict regulations—allowing only letters up to four pages long. “They are doing what they can, but their capabilities there are severely limited. We can't send regular letters. My father says he has sent countless letters in the past six months. None of them have reached the recipient, meaning this form of communication is also inadequate,” he said.

The former state minister's son noted that he is able to speak with his father over the phone, but they cannot discuss any matters that way. He also stated that independent doctors are not allowed to visit his father. “The only examination that was conducted was by a state hospital after the hunger strike. There are some visits from what we understand, from the Red Cross, but they are insufficient, as they are superficial,” Vardanyan's son said.

He explained that Ruben Vardanyan is isolated, and international lawyers are not allowed to see him. The lawyers have not seen him once or established any contact. All their inquiries have been ignored or denied.

In this context, Davit emphasized that the family is grateful to the local lawyer who, according to him, is risking his life to defend Ruben Vardanyan. Davit Vardanyan confirmed that his father faces 45 charges under 20 articles of the Azerbaijani Penal Code. It comprises a criminal case of 25,000 pages in Azerbaijani, which is being orally translated by a translator appointed by the investigator and the prosecutor's office. According to Davit, this is an old strategy aimed at destroying the accused.