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The We Are Our Mountains development agency on Wednesday issued a statement calling on the international community to condemn Armenian humanitarian and political prisoner Ruben Vardanyan’s illegal detention in Azerbaijan. The full statement is provided below.

"The latest statement by the legal defense of Ruben Vardanyan, who was captured by Azerbaijan on September 27, 2023 and remains illegally detained in a Baku prison, claiming that he has been charged with 45 false accusations threatening him with life imprisonment, is deeply disturbing.

The charges, brought against Ruben Vardanyan by the Aliyev regime, are a clear political farce, aimed not only at destroying Vardanyan’s reputation, but also at diverting international attention from Azerbaijan’s crimes against the people of Artsakh.

All of Ruben Vardanyan’s activities in Artsakh were focused on addressing the vital needs of the population subjected Azerbaijan’s blockade, suffering from hunger, severe deprivation, ethnic cleansing and military aggression by Azerbaijan. The assistance included food supplies, immediate solutions to health problems and other basic needs, as demonstrated by the programs implemented by the organization “We are Our Mountains” in Artsakh.

The international community must not remain silent in the face of such grave human rights violations. This blatant attack by the Aliyev regime is not only directed against Ruben Vardanyan, but also against the principles of justice, international law, and the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in international treaties and conventions.

It is imperative that the democratic world take decisive action to ensure a fair trial, the presence of international observers and full transparency of the judicial process.

We also call on the civil society in Armenia and around the world, as well as international organizations and states, to strongly condemn the illegal imprisonment of Ruben Vardanyan and express their support for him and all Armenian prisoners in Baku.

The world cannot remain indifferent when one of its most prominent humanitarians is persecuted for his fight for justice and dignity."