Hayk Hovhannisyan

RT not necessarily an endorsement

[Ruben Vardanyan @RubenVardanyan_]

The family of Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian political prisoner, has conveyed his message to the international community after a brief phone call, in protest against the staged "judicial" process against him

February 19, 2025

“Yesterday, I have decided to protest by declaring a hunger strike against the judicial farce being carried out against me. This is my response to the blatant violations of Azerbaijani procedural law and international law. What is happening in the courtroom cannot be called a trial – this is a political show, in which my right to a fair hearing is being deliberately disregarded.

For the past month, my local lawyer – Avraam Berman and I have tried to make it clear to the court that it is critical for me that this so-called “trial” be objective rather than a staged performance.  Sadly, it has been clear from the beginning that this case is all about persecuting me as an Armenian simply for exercising my rights to freedom of opinion and expression and political participation under international law,, which have been aimed at protecting the rights of the Armenian-Christian population of Artsakh.

Despite Azerbaijan being a State Party to the European Convention on Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, this process has also been replete with egregious due process abuses:

1. I am being tried in an illegal military tribunal and not a civilian court.
2. I have not been granted full access to the indictment and so called “evidence” against me – 422 volumes in Azerbaijani, for which I was given only 21 working days to review, which have been classified as “state secrets.”
3. The "indictment" presented to me is not an official document, as it lacks the signatures of my accusers. Even the translation of this so-called document contains gross errors, making it impossible for me to understand the charges against me.
4. I have been denied my right to defense – my local lawyer, Avraam Berman, has had his access to materials restricted, his documents confiscated, and he has been subjected to psychological pressure. Further, my international legal team has been barred from communicating or visiting me and has not had access to any of the case materials
5. I have not been allowed to summon defense witnesses or file complaints regarding the violations committed during the investigation and trial.
6. All of the hearings have been secret and closed to the public.  Foreign journalists and independent international representatives have been barred from the courtroom.

This so-called ‘trial’ is not just against me. It is an attempt to criminalize all Armenians – all those who supported and demonstrated compassion toward Artsakh and its people, all those who showed compassion. This is an attack on an entire nation. I refuse to participate in this farce.

I appeal to world leaders, international organizations, human rights defenders, and members of the press:

This process demands your attention. The imitation of justice is an endorsement of lawlessness and injustice. Silence in the face of such violations paves the way for future tragedies, fueling hostility and a new wave of hatred. Only through truth, law, and humanity can peace and justice be ensured in the region”.

Ruben Vardanyan

[Olivier Decottignies @O_Decottignies]

Goris in 2024, before there were any skyscrapers 😉

[Élysée @Elysee]

La dernière lettre de Missak Manouchian à son épouse, Mélinée.

[Hayk Hovhannisyan @HaykHovh]

🇹🇷🇷🇼❗️🇦🇲 Sous la pression de la Turquie, le Rwanda a supprimé toute référence au génocide des Arméniens de 1915 du mémorial de Kigali, consacré au génocide des Tutsis.

Quelle honte! @RwandaGov

https://t.co/BvQoTR3bQx

[France à Jérusalem 🇫🇷 🇪🇺 @FranceJerusalem]

La France suit avec une grande préoccupation les tensions en cours dans le quartier arménien de la vieille ville de Jérusalem où des pressions violentes sont exercées par des colons israéliens à l’encontre de résidents. Elles doivent cesser sans délai.

[Kornelij @Kornelij]

Look how ethnic cleansing of Armenians in #Artsakh by #Azerbaijan is happening openly, in front of the whole world

[Gegham Stepanyan @Gegham_Artsakh]

We went through a hell that I can't even describe, but the world needs to know about all the episodes of this human tragedy and horror.

[Ruben Vardanyan @RubenVardanyan_]

My husband, Ruben Vardanyan, the philanthropist, businessman, and former Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was arrested and detained by the Azerbaijani authorities at the border this morning as he tried to leave with thousands of Armenians.

Ruben has stood with the Arsakh people during the 10-month blockade and has suffered with them in their struggle for survival.

I ask for your prayers and support for my husband's safe release.

Veronika Zonabend

[Arman Tatoyan @atatoyan]

A sad reality: after 9 months of #Azerbaijani blockade this old lady is forced to leave her home in #Artsakh (#Nagorno_Karabakh), her motherland, where she lived all her life; exhausted, subjected to starvation, siege, and having lost her loved ones.21st century Genocide is here.

[Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Ombudsman @ArtsakhOmbuds]

The Office of the Human Rights Defender is receiving multiple terrifying reports about Azerbaijani information terror actively conducted against the civilian population of Artsakh. Azerbaijani telegram channels encourage people to find, kill, torture, and rape the missing persons of Artsakh, even offering money for that. Many relatives of the missing people, who are already in a vulnerable psychological state, complain about Azerbaijan terrorising and threatening them by calls and text messages.
This is yet another expression of Armenophobia and ethnic hatred, which only proves that the civilian population will not have any security guarantees if it is placed under the control of Azerbaijan.

[François DEVEDJIAN @fdevedjian]

Ce n’est pas d’une doctrine sur le droit des minorités dont manque l’🇺🇳, c’est de respecter les principes de sa propre Charte

Tant que le «droit» international ne sera que la loi des puissants, il en sera ainsi

Ce qui se joue aujourd’hui en #Artsakh (Haut-Karabakh) montre simplement que le monde a oublié ce qui l’a conduit au chaos il y a près de 80 ans

[Artak Beglaryan | #StopArtsakhGenocide @Artak_Beglaryan]

Thirteen-year-old Mkrtich Hovoyan & his mother were heavily wounded in Vanq village of Artsakh as a result of Azerbaijani shelling on their house.
His 16-year-old brother, Sergey Hovoyan, & their 67-year-old neighbor, Melsik, were killed there.
#StopArmenianGenocide2023

[Olivier Decottignies @O_Decottignies]

@MinColonna à la Conférence des Ambassadrices et des Ambassadeurs :
➡️ "La stratégie de l'étouffement, qui vise à provoquer un exode massif des Arméniens du Haut-Karabagh, est illégale, comme la Cour internationale de justice l'a établi. Elle est aussi amorale."

[Armine Grigoryan @armine_grig]

At times it is difficult to find metaphors to describe the deprivations the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh have to live through. 252 in the young boy’s palm is his turn in a bread line.

[Center for Truth and Justice @CFTJustice]

"Nations must mobilize to prevent a #Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh."

@CFTJustice welcomes the Juan Mendez report, which, coming after the @MorenoOcampo1, is another clarion call to the world not to look away when tens of thousands are targeted by genocidal actions.

Juan Mendez was the first @UN Special Advisor on the #Genocide Prevention.

[Washington Post Opinions @PostOpinions]

A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the Caucasus, David @IgnatiusPost writes https://t.co/5Ep0tV3221

[Simon Adams @SAdamsR2P]

Pro-Azerbaijan trolls have started abusing me online simply for calling for an end to the blockade of the Lachin corridor and #NagornoKarabakh. For the record, I am not 🇦🇲 or 🇺🇸, I just believe in human rights & humanitarianism. And I’ll keep tweeting ⬇️ https://t.co/khOoawjb2K

[Tigran Balayan @tbalayan]

For 13 days #Azerbaijan is blocking the emergency humanitarian air to starving people in #NagornoKarabakh, despite the order of @CIJ_ICJ, united calls @ICRC, @UN, @coe, @eu_eeas, @StateDep, @francediplo @DutchMFA, @MFA_Lu & many others actors.

[Conseil Français-Arméniens @FrancArmeniens]

Un rendez-vous épique entre 🇦🇲et sa diaspora: Erevan a accueilli 450 jeunes lors du Forum national de la jeunesse arménienne.Milena Avetisyan et Hayk Hovhannisyan se sont élevés en messagers de notre vision de l'avenir de la diaspora et de sa mission pour le développement dе🇦🇲.