KM

[KM @kmaranian]

Yep. That is exactly what happened and is still busy arming Azerbaijan today.

[Echoes of Hellas 🇬🇷 @HellenicEchoes]

I had the same reaction when I also found out, but it's true

[Noubar Afeyan @NoubarAfeyan]

The pain and injustice inflicted on my long time friend and partner, Ruben Vardanyan, by the Azeri regime is unbearable to witness. It is time for all Armenians to raise their voice, especially the leadership of the Armenian Republic. If not us…who? If not now…when? @NikolPashinyan

[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

[Ruben Vardanyan @RubenVardanyan_]

Statement by Ruben Vardanyan, Armenian Political Prisoner Illegally Incarcerated in Azerbaijan (conveyed to his family during his weekly phone call)
January 16, 2025

I would like to address the global community, to those who care about what is happening in our region, those opposed to religious persecution worldwide and those who wish for a lasting and genuine peace.

I, Ruben Vardanyan, have been detained at the Detention Center of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan since September 27, 2023 – more than 470 days in total, including 340 days in solitary confinement and 23 days in a punishment cell. I would like to make an official statement before the start of the trial. If you are reading these words, it means that I have exhausted all other means to convey the truth about what is happening here.

A court hearing of my case is scheduled for January 17 at 3:00 PM. I have been informed that I am facing 42 charges, some of which carry sentences up to life imprisonment. However, I have not been granted the opportunity to fully review the official indictment. My lawyer and I were merely allowed to skim through 422 volumes of the case files, all written solely in theAzerbaijani language, which I do not understand, within a very short timeframe – from December 9, 2024, to January 8, 2025. I only received the list of charges in Russian on January 8, 2025.

Moreover, pressure has been exerted on me, my lawyer, and my interpreter to force us to backdate and sign documents, including falsified protocols and records of interrogations that never took place.

I officially declare: I have given no testimony since the day of my arrest, except during the first interrogation, where I only stated my name and surname. Let me reiterate: all protocols bearing my signature are falsifications. These documents do not exist in reality. My lawyer and interpreter were coerced into signing these documents.

I once again reiterate and state my complete innocence and the innocence of my Armenian compatriots also being held as political prisoners and demand an immediate end to this politically motivated case against us.

Despite our innocence and the political motivation of this trial, it is most likely that the prosecutor will ignore my plea and pursue a trial against us, in which case I demand and ask for your support in ensuring that I am afforded the following:

1. Allow me and my lawyer adequate time and opportunity to prepare for my defense. In particular, provide us with the opportunity to thoroughly review the case materials in a language I understand.
2. Eliminate all procedural violations and falsifications. Specifically, deem inadmissible all falsified documents and records of interrogations that never took place, as I have not provided any testimony since the day of my arrest.
3. Make my trial, and those of the Armenian political prisoners, public. I insist on the most open trial possible, with the participation of international journalists and representatives of humanitarian organizations.
4. Consolidate my case with the cases of the others accused. More than 400 of the 422 volumes in my case concern episodes from the general case of which only 6 are specifically related to false accusations against me. Separating my case into a separate proceeding is an artificial and unfounded decision.

I bear no anger or hatred. On the contrary, I genuinely empathize with all those who violate laws, moral principles, and the teachings of the Quran and other holy texts.

I am convinced that true peace will only be possible when the leaders of the countries involved in the conflict, with the support of their societies, can come together to lay flowers on the graves of all those who perished in this war.

I promise to do everything possible to ensure this happens during my lifetime. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said, the only way to save the world from self-destruction is to live by the principles of nonviolence, truth, and love. Through compassion for all people, regardless of their skin color, nationality, or religion, we can achieve true peace.

Thank you all for your support! I love and thank you all for your kindness toward me. Know that I am standing strong and believe that the truth will prevail.

Ruben Vardanyan

[Neil Hauer @NeilPHauer]

Syrian rebels in newly taken positions just 180m from the Armenian consulate in Aleppo city today

[Serj Tankian-#SanctionAzerbaijan @serjtankian]

#FreeArmenianHostages
#SanctionAzerbaijan

[KM @kmaranian]

@mitSelimKurt1 Congratulations, Ümit!

[KM @kmaranian]

Reporters without Borders - 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Country.
Belgium - 16
France - 21
Moldova - 31
Austria - 32
Armenia - 43
USA - 55
Ukraine - 61
Georgia - 103
Turkey - 158
Azerbaijan - 164

[KM @kmaranian]

Top countries for internet freedom includes #armenia while the bottom of the bottom include #turkey and #Azerbaijan . @freedomhouse
https://t.co/bRkxehSghG

[Responsible Statecraft @RStatecraft]

Azerbaijan’s $4.7M contract with a PR firm aims to shift focus from its conflict with Armenia to climate action at COP 29. But is Baku simply "peacewashing" its reputation? #COP29 #Azerbaijan
https://t.co/9D4NWcVsLu

[KM @kmaranian]

@hrw @astroehlein Forget anything? https://t.co/gPES0n3Vfg

[Marut Vanyan @marutvanian]

Let me translate what Aliyev is saying.

"Dear Karabakh Armenians, I stole your property, apartments and converted it dorm rooms for students. Please don't tell them about that so they can sleep peacefully there at night. Thank you very much!"

[Nara @nmatini]

Say thank you to Armenian philanthropist @RubenVardanyan_ & his IDeA Foundation that restored the mosque. The same #RubenVardanyan whom Azerbaijan’s genocidal regime is TORTURING in Baku jail for already a year, for psychological terror on Armenian nation.

#FreeRubenVardanyan
#FreeArmenianHostages #Shushi #GovharAgha

[Luis Moreno Ocampo @MorenoOcampo1]

Climate justice = Human rights. Let's make #COP29 a platform for both! Demand the release of Armenian hostages in Baku. #StopGreenwashGenocide #FreeArmenianHostages

[Luis Moreno Ocampo @MorenoOcampo1]

As we push for a greener planet, remember #COP29 is in Azerbaijan—a country guilty of human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh. This hypocrisy weakens our mission #StopGreenwashGenocide #FreeArmenianHostages #FreePoliticalPrisoners

[KM @kmaranian]

@sammartirosyan9 https://t.co/S4ARTVE2sE

[Luis Moreno Ocampo @MorenoOcampo1]

@amnesty @amnestyusa 🧵5/ “Journalists, human rights defenders, and climate rights activists have been detained.” @amnesty #COP29 #FreeArmenianHostages #FreePoliticalPrisoners https://t.co/uBDq3PHqoT

[Luis Moreno Ocampo @MorenoOcampo1]

Be aware that #COP29 for Azerbaijan means overlooking human rights violations in Nagorno-Karabakh. Our planet’s future must include justice for all starting with #FreeArmenianHostages #FreePoliticalPrisoners and #StopGreenwashGenocide

[The Jerusalem Post @Jerusalem_Post]

Comment | If Israel wants to be recognized on the international stage as a voice of sanity and legitimate morality, it must do the moral thing, put the ego aside, and recognize the Armenian Genocide.

✍️@TamarUrielBeeri

https://t.co/YptfmMmWxM