Vardanyan’s Family, Legal Team Files Appeal with UN Rapporteur on Torture

From April 5-25, Vardanyan engaged in a hunger strike to protest his politically-motivated prosecution and that of the other Armenian prisoners.

In retaliation, the authorities of the Pre-Trial Detention facility of the State Security Service, where he is currently detained,  moved him to a punishment cell, which he was never allowed to leave for the duration of the hunger strike. The lights in the cell were kept on around the clock, which lead to severe sleep deprivation and exhaustion. In addition, he was forced to stand for extended periods of time and was deprived of drinking water for over two full days. Moreover, he was not allowed to bathe or change clothes; he was not given any toilet paper; he was not allowed to have any books or paper; and there were no bed sheets (so he had to sleep on a dirty mattress). Of particular concern, neither Vardanyan’s lawyer nor anyone else (including the local ombudsman) was allowed to visit him during the hunger strike and his communication with the outside world (for example, through phone calls with family) was cut off.

This treatment — intended to punish Ruben for engaging in a hunger strike, and also for his political service in and advocacy for Nagorno-Karabakh — violates Azerbaijan’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture, as well as The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).

Unfortunately, Vardanyan’s mistreatment comes as no surprise — Azerbaijan has a well-documented history of torturing political prisoners generally and ethnic Armenian detainees specifically.

Given his ethnicity, his status as a former high-level official in the Government of Nagorno-Karabakh, his outspoken criticism of Azerbaijan’s treatment of Nagorno-Karabakh and its people, and his detention at the hands of the State Security Service (which is notorious for the torture of ethnic Armenians), he is at imminent risk of further torture and ill-treatment.

Ruben’s son, David Vardanyan, said: “We were shocked to learn of the horrors that my father has had to endure. It is terrifying to think of what is being done to other less prominent prisoners in Azerbaijan who have not received the international support that my father has. For the sake of all the current political prisoners in Azerbaijan — whether Armenian, Azerbaijani, or any other nationality — this inhumane treatment of prisoners must be stopped. We urge the UN to hold the Azerbaijan Government accountable and to help protect my father’s life.”