YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — Ruben Vardanyan, a prominent businessman remaining in Azerbaijani captivity along with at least 18 other Armenians, has stepped up his accusations that Armenia’s government is indifferent to the fate of the prisoners.
“The government of Armenia has failed to establish any sustainable and coherent mechanism for communication with them — neither through third-party countries, including the embassies of states with a presence in Baku, nor through international organizations,” Vardanyan said in his latest statement conveyed to his family by phone last week.
“Why? Why can Armenian officials travel to Azerbaijan on trade, economic, and other matters, but cannot organize a visit concerning the lives, health, and legal situation of Armenian captives? Is the fate of these people not more important than trade negotiations?” he asked.
Vardanyan said that many of the prisoners “have no adequate clothing and no way to receive what they genuinely need.”
“Instead, whatever assistance does reach them is organized informally, without transparency, and without regard for the actual needs of the detainees… When people who have no teeth are sent dried fruit, that is not help. That is humiliation,” he said.
“Have you no shame?” he went on, appealing to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “Is there no shame in receiving a peace prize [in the United Arab Emirates,] speaking of peace, and accepting applause while citizens of Armenia remain in Baku’s prisons without proper protection, systemic support, assistance or oversight from their own state?”
