International human rights organizations have recently raised concerns over the alarming situation of Ruben Vardanyan, who has been held in pre-trial detention in Baku, Azerbaijan for several months. Many renowned international media outlets, such as Reuters, BBC, Agence France Presse, AP, Washington Post, The Independent, and ABC News, have extensively covered his case. It was disclosed by his family on April 18th that Vardanyan began a hunger strike on April 5th, in an attempt to demand fair and impartial treatment, as well as timely and just legal proceedings for himself and other Armenian detainees held in Baku.

The international community has expressed concern regarding the violation of human rights and has criticized the suspension of Vardanyan’s communication with his family since the initiation of his hunger strike. This breach of international human rights norms has attracted significant attention. Notably, Figaro and RBK conducted interviews with Vardanyan’s son, David Vardanyan, who revealed that the family has not received any confirmed information regarding Ruben Vardanyan’s overall health condition.

In an interview with RBK, David Vardanyan expressed the family’s frustration over their inability to gain permission from Azerbaijani authorities to visit his father in Baku or attend his trial hearings. He stated, “It is impossible for an Armenian to enter Azerbaijan. We hope that representatives of European governance, starting from France, can evaluate his situation, the conditions of other detained compatriots in Azerbaijan, and provide financial assistance.”

Ruben Vardanyan, a former Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities on September 27th. He was subsequently accused of illegally crossing from Artsakh to Armenia. He has been detained for four months, and in January, his detention was extended for another four months. Azerbaijan’s accusations against Vardanyan include organizing subversive activities, financing them, and participating in the opposing side’s armed forces and their activities.