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In a heartfelt and compelling video, David Vardanyan, the son of Armenian humanitarian and former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, has shared an emotional account of his father's journey, values, and arrest by Azerbaijani authorities, The Armenian Report said.

Ruben Vardanyan has been detained in Baku since September 27, 2023, following a military offensive launched by Azerbaijan against the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

David opens the video by highlighting his father’s transformation from a highly successful businessman into a dedicated humanitarian. For over 15 years, Ruben Vardanyan has poured his resources and energy into Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, focusing on educational initiatives, humanitarian aid, and efforts to bolster the Armenian community.

In 2022 Ruben made a bold decision: he would move to Nagorno-Karabakh to support its 120,000 residents, who were facing mounting economic, political, and security challenges. Despite the risks, he joined the community as one of them, briefly serving as Nagorno-Karabakh’s state minister for three months before returning to humanitarian work. David recalls this transition as a defining moment for his father. “He wasn’t just a businessman or politician,” he says, “but someone determined to make a difference, no matter the personal cost.”

In his video, David describes his father’s detention as a chilling message to Armenians everywhere: “I'm worried for my father, but I'm also worried for all the Armenians who are being held in Baku. I think it was a very clear message that was sent to all the Armenian people, with the arrest of someone like my father, Ruben, that no Armenian is safe, and that this can happen to all of you."

"We need to speak more about the political prisoners, and I think that the next step we must take now is to put more pressure on Azerbaijan," he adds.