Ruben Vardanyan: "Now I understand that principles and values are  much more important than life"

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."