Call to the Public to Free Ruben Vardanyan and Other Armenian Prisoners: Tom Catina

Tom Catina, the 2017 recipient of the Aurora Humanitarian Award, has released a video message calling on the international community to take action to immediately free Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenian prisoners. “Anyone who knows Ruben Vardanyan is aware that the charges against him are absolutely false and ridiculous,” he stated.

In the video, he says, “Hello, I am Tom Catina, the medical director of the Mother of Mercy Hospital located in the Nuba Mountains of South Sudan. With this short video, I am expressing my support for my friend Ruben Vardanyan, who has been unjustly held in an Azerbaijani prison for more than a year. I have known Ruben since 2017 when I received the Aurora Global Humanitarian Award for my work in Sudan. As the president of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, I have come to know Ruben quite well over the years. We have traveled together frequently for the implementation of various projects. I know Ruben as an exceptionally just and honest person. Anyone who knows Ruben knows that all the allegations against him are completely false and utterly laughable.

Ruben went to Artsakh to help the government and people there, fully aware of all the risks involved in going. Nevertheless, he chose to go. I call on the international community, I call on all people of goodwill to demand the release of both Ruben and all Armenian prisoners who are unjustly held in Azerbaijani prisons.”