A rally in support of Ruben Vardanyan, illegally detained in Baku, will be held outside the ICRC office in Yerevan
YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. A rally in support of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who is illegally detained in Azerbaijan, will be held on Monday near the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yerevan. This was reported by participants in a similar rally held on Friday near the Foreign Ministry and the UN office.
Earlier, on February 26, Jared Genser, Ruben Vardanyan's international lawyer, announced a sharp deterioration in his client's health—one week after his hunger strike—during which Azerbaijan is forcing Vardanyan to continue participating in a sham trial. The lawyer stated that Vardanyan's health is at risk and called on world leaders, particularly Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, to condemn this show trial in Baku.
As one of the participants in the rally stated on Friday in front of the government building, only the ICRC has the mandate to visit Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, and they plan to gather at the ICRC office on Monday at 13:00. "We will demand that the ICRC properly fulfill its mandate," said the rally participant.
She also mentioned that a videographer will be present, and those who wish to send their messages of support to Ruben Vardanyan, all other prisoners, and their families in various languages will be able to record their video messages. These messages will be shared on various social media platforms using the hashtag #FreeArmenianPrisoners.
The day before, 28 Armenian organizations sent an open letter to the President of the ICRC, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, calling for the immediate release of Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenian political prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan.
About Armenian prisoners in Baku
Officially, Azerbaijan acknowledges holding only 33 Armenian prisoners of war and civilians, but Armenian human rights activists claim that there are an additional 80 Armenian prisoners.
On January 20, a so-called trial against 15 Armenian prisoners of war began in Baku. Among them are former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, former Presidents of the Republic Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, former Speaker of Parliament David Ishkhanyan, former Foreign Minister and former Assistant to the President of the NKR David Babayan, former Commander of the Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, and former Deputy Commander of the Defense Army of Artsakh David Manukyan.
On February 28, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing concern about publications related to the "trials" of 23 Armenian prisoners, as well as information released by their lawyers, including Ruben Vardanyan, who is on hunger strike. The statement highlighted the pressure on the prisoners, torture, and the evident deterioration of their health.
