What Can Pashinyan Do to Support Ruben Vardanyan?

Ruben Vardanyan's international advisor, Jared Genser, has made a statement outlining the steps that Armenian authorities can take to support Armenians detained in Baku. Genser thanked Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for advocating for his client and other Armenian Christian political prisoners and detainees held in Azerbaijan: 'This was very important. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan can do much more to facilitate this. We are praying for and asking for his help and support.'

Genser wrote, 'Many are asking how Armenia can help secure the release of Armenian Christians detained in Azerbaijan, considering that there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In reality, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan can do a lot more. Public statements and public diplomacy are essential. Prime Minister Pashinyan can issue a public statement based on the foreign minister's and the ministry's announcements, stating that the release of political prisoners and detainees by Azerbaijan is a matter of priority, that their detention is politically motivated, and that they must be released immediately and unconditionally.'

The Prime Minister can hold a press conference to discuss all these issues, publish an article in one of the major media outlets, and speak out whenever significant developments occur.

Support for Families: Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister can meet with the families of political prisoners and detainees to express their solidarity with them. They could also ask the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to send observers to the trials of Ruben Vardanyan and others. They might also request all their allies with embassies in Baku to send observers to the trial. They could even ask Azerbaijan, despite the lack of diplomatic relations, to allow observers from the Armenian government to attend the trials.

Engagement with Azerbaijan: Prime Minister Pashinyan could send a personal envoy to Baku to act as a humanitarian channel to negotiate the release of political prisoners and detainees. Additionally, he could collaborate with a friendly government, such as Switzerland, to represent Armenian interests in Azerbaijan. This could be done by establishing an 'Armenian Interests Section' at the Swiss embassy in Baku. Even if the issue of political prisoners and military captives is not included in the peace agreement, the Prime Minister could privately suggest that their release should occur before or in parallel with the conclusion of the deal.

Request for Support from the United States, France, and the European Union: Prime Minister Pashinyan could request assistance from President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio, President Macron, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to secure the release of political prisoners and military detainees.

Continuing and Expanding Legal Actions: The government can continue its court cases at the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. It can also appeal to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to initiate a preliminary investigation into the forced displacement of 120,000 Christian Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Involvement of the Global Religious Community: The government can reach out for assistance by highlighting the blatant persecution of the Armenian Christian community, in line with President Trump's call to action, not only for the 120,000 displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh but also for the Armenian political prisoners currently held in Baku due to their ethnic and religious affiliation.

Multilateral Involvement: Prime Minister Pashinyan could appoint a special envoy dedicated to securing the release of persecuted Christians worldwide, focusing on the direction of releasing political prisoners and detainees. He may join the 80 countries around the world and sign the Canadian-led declaration against the arbitrary detention in international relations. The Prime Minister may ask UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to advocate for the humanitarian release of prisoners and detainees.