Rubin Vardanyan's Lawyer on the Fabricated Trial in Baku

CNA (Catholic News Agency) has published an extensive article about the Armenian captives being held illegally in Baku. The article's author, the agency's Washington correspondent Madlen Elhabal, spoke with Jared Genser, the international lawyer of Ruben Vardanyan and a renowned human rights advocate.

The article includes some excerpts: “The internationally respected human rights advocate calls on the Trump administration to fulfill its campaign promise and intervene on behalf of Armenian Christians, as the recently negotiated peace agreement threatens to leave prisoners of war in a helpless situation. ‘Our demand from the administration has been very clear from the outset: the release of Armenian Christian prisoners of war should be a prerequisite for advancing the peace treaty. That has been the administration's position,’ Genser said to CNA.

Although earlier this month, Armenia and Azerbaijan announced the agreement on the points of the peace treaty text, it has not been signed, despite Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressing readiness to sign it on social media.

Genser, known for his successful efforts to free unjustly imprisoned individuals in various parts of the world, is currently working to secure the release of Ruben Vardanyan, the former state minister of the ethnic Armenian government in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Genser noted that Vardanyan, a follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has not been allowed to possess a Bible, which, according to him, ‘only strengthens the notion that the persecution of him and other leaders from Nagorno-Karabakh is not solely due to their representation of the so-called “independent republic” but is also linked to their Christian faith.’

‘We have also seen the complete destruction of Armenian churches and other monuments of Armenian heritage following ethnic cleansing,’ Genser added.

Vardanyan faces 42 separate charges, with his trial being conducted in a military tribunal, despite him never having served in the military. After his imprisonment, he declared hunger strikes twice, with the latest hunger strike lasting 23 days, during which he lost about 14 pounds.

According to Genser, part of his work to secure Vardanyan's release also relates to the rights of all other Armenian captives, the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, and the issues of achieving real peace and stability between the two countries. ‘When you represent a high-profile political prisoner, your work is not solely about them. In fact, it’s about looking at a broader range of issues and working towards their resolution.’

Genser highlighted that President Donald Trump had promised during his campaign to protect persecuted Armenian Christians, condemning the events in Nagorno-Karabakh as ‘ethnic cleansing.’ Now, as Genser noted, the release of the captives is ‘a priority issue for the new administration.’