ArmInfo.We believe that my father's connection with the outside world was interrupted in order to drown out his voice of protest, which is why he went on a hunger strike. The eldest son of the famous philanthropist and businessman Ruben Vardanyan, illegally detained in Baku, David Vardanyan, stated in an interview with CNN. He noted that their family learned about Vardanyan's hunger strike only at the end of the week.
Since the last telephone conversation, it became known that Ruben Vardanyan was transferred to a completely isolated cell, which means that the conditions of his detention worsened before the hunger strike. "He also said that to monitor his health, his blood pressure is measured once a day. And this is in the case of a person who went on a hunger strike, which means that there is no medical supervision," noted David Vardanyan.
He added that what was particularly troubling was that his father said during a telephone conversation that he now better understood the Aurora Prize laureates, which he co-founded, all those who risk their lives to save others. According to David Vardanyan, thefamous the philanthropist said: "Now I understand that principles and values are much more important than life."
According to the Vardanyan family, the fight for the rights of the Armenians who became refugees within a few days has become more important for Ruben Vardanyan than his life; it has become something for which he is ready to die.
Answering a question about the progress of the trial, David Vardanyan noted that the charges brought by the Baku court are groundless, moreover, there is no evidence at all for such serious charges. "On the contrary, everyone knows that my father was involved in charity throughout his life; together with his partners, he invested $1.5 billion in the development of Armenia and in humanitarian initiatives around the world. In Artsakh, he invested not only in the restoration of churches and Christian cultural monuments, but also in the restoration of a Shiite mosque, which demonstrates his philosophy of life.
He is confident that the only way to achieve peace is to respect each other's culture and history," he said. According to Vardanyan, the trial was expected to take place in January, but it was postponed again, now the trial is expected to begin in May, but there are no guarantees that this will happen, since everything can be postponed again unilaterally. The Vardanyan family demands that all Armenian prisoners be released, and if there is any trial, this must be done as soon as possible, because the charges brought by Azerbaijan have nothing to do with Ruben Vardanyan. At the same time, the relatives insist that international observers monitor the trial.
"Before the 2020 war, my father always stayed away from politics. He was first a businessman, then a philanthropist who, as I already mentioned, together with his partners established international awards such as the Aurora International Humanitarian Initiative, founded the international school of the UWC network in Armenia, and never showed interest in participating in policy. However, the red line for my father was the suffering of 120 thousand Armenians in Artsakh. After the war of 2020, the whole world, one might say, left them alone with their grief. And seeing this terrible situation, he decided to risk everything, including his safety and the safety of his family, and go to Artsakh. In August 2022, when we met, I realized that it was emotional decision, completely motivated by values," David Vardanyan noted in an interview.
However, despite all the difficulties, he expressed hope that we will not give up our desire to defend values, human rights, fundamental principles. "This also applies to the current negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan," noted Ruben Vardanyan's son.
At the same time, he expressed confidence that the detention of his father, as well as 7 other political prisoners and numerous Armenian prisoners, is not a political issue, but a matter of human decency and dignity.
Since April 5, Ruben Vardanyan went on a hunger strike in a Baku prison demanding the release of him and other Armenian prisoners.
In the fall of 2022, Ruben Vardanyan renounced Russian citizenship, moved to Artsakh and on November 4, 2022 headed the government of the republic. On February 23, 2023, he was released from office, but remained to live in Artsakh.
A week after Azerbaijan's September aggression against Artsakh, Vardanyan tried to leave the republic, but was detained at the border crossing by Azerbaijani security forces. Baku accuses him of "financing terrorism," "participation in the formation and activities of armed formations or groups not provided for by law," and "illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan."