Ruben Vardanyan
Former State Minister of Artsakh (2022-2023)
Case timeline
Serves as State Minister of Artsakh
Ruben Vardanyan served as State Minister of Artsakh from November 2022 to February 2023.
Azerbaijani forces illegally took him hostage
Recorded location: Hakari Bridge checkpoint. Transferred to Baku.
Ruben Vardanyan nominated for Nobel Peace Prize while held in captivity in Baku
Former Artsakh State Minister, businessman, and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan has been nominated for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for his charitable and humanitarian work. His candidacy was proposed…
SOURCE →ICRC visits current and former Artsakh leaders illegally detained in Baku
ICRC visits current and former Artsakh leaders who have been illegally detained in Baku. They were also able to speak to their family members. APA reported the news…
SOURCE →Protesters Rally Outside International Red Cross Office in Yerevan, Demanding Action for Armenian Hostages in Baku
On March 3, protesters gathered outside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Yerevan, demanding immediate action for Armenian prisoners illegally detained in Azerbaijan. Demonstrators…
SOURCE →‘A Trial Without Evidence:’ Ruben Vardanyan Faces Injustice in Politically Charged Case
A manipulated trial without evidence: the injustice faced by the former Artsakh minister, Ruben Vardanyan On June 10, the trial against Ruben Vardanyan, former State Minister of Artsakh,…
SOURCE →Weekly Roundup: The Assault on Freedom and Faith in Armenia
On June 7, the National Assembly of Armenia announced that the next general election would be held on June 7th, 2026. The current government and its opposition appear…
SOURCE →ICC Founding Prosecutor Exposes Conflict of Interest in UN Ruling on Ruben Vardanyan’s Detention in Azerbaijan
An expert opinion from the first Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, reveals a conflict of interest that invalidates the outcome of a UN decision…
SOURCE →As 2026 Elections Approach, Several Armenian Candidates Emerge
by Mkrtich Gevorkyan With the 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections less than eight months away, the political atmosphere in Armenia is gradually beginning to intensify. Though the elections are…
SOURCE →“Indifference Is More Frightening Than Death”: Ruben Vardanyan’s Words as Azerbaijan Seeks Life Sentence
Azerbaijan’s prosecution has moved to its final stage by demanding a life sentence for Ruben Vardanyan, underscoring that the proceedings are not judicial in nature but punitive in…
SOURCE →Pashinyan-Aligned Mayor Moves to Terminate Ruben Vardanyan Family’s Dilijan Park Contracts
While Ruben Vardanyan remains held hostage in an Azerbaijani prison in Baku, the Dilijan Municipality has launched legal action to strip his family of long-term rights to manage…
SOURCE →French National Assembly Unanimously Adopts Resolution Demanding Release Of Armenian Political Prisoners In Baku
The French National Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian political prisoners held by Azerbaijan, including former political leaders of…
SOURCE →Sentenced to 20 years in prison on 17 Feb 2026
Azerbaijan Sentences Ruben Vardanyan to 20 Years in Sham Baku Trials
Azerbaijani courts have sentenced Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison in a sham trial in Baku following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military attack on Artsakh. Vardanyan was detained by…
SOURCE →Ruben Vardanyan Urges Armenian Ombudsman to Visit Hostages Held in Baku, Says Families Ready to Join
Ruben Vardanyan has called on Armenia’s Human Rights Defender to take immediate action, warning that Armenian hostages held in Azerbaijan remain without family access or independent monitoring. In…
SOURCE →“Country to Live” Joins Samvel Karapetyan’s “Strong Armenia” in Upcoming Elections
“Country to Live” joins Samvel Karapetyan’s “Strong Armenia” in upcoming elections, stressing return of Armenian detainees, Church’s role, and national unity. In an official statement, the “Country to…
SOURCE →Armenian and International Human Rights Organizations File Formal Complaint to UN Exposing Conflicts of Interest by WGAD Member in Armenian Captives Cases
A coalition of Armenian and international human rights organizations, led by the Artsakh Union, has submitted a comprehensive complaint-report to the United Nations calling for an immediate investigation…
SOURCE →Ruben Vardanyan Moved to High-Security Umbaki Prison in Baku
Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh and an Armenian political prisoner held in Azerbaijan, has been transferred to the Umbaki prison complex in Baku, a high-security…
SOURCE →“This Trial Is Against the Armenian People”: David Ishkhanyan Appeals from Baku Prison
David Ishkhanyan, the former President of the National Assembly of Artsakh, who has been held in ադրբեջանական captivity since October 3, 2023, has appealed from a Baku prison…
SOURCE →Ruben Vardanyan Demands Answers from Armenia’s Authorities Over Armenian Hostages Held in Baku
Ruben Vardanyan has issued a new statement sharply criticizing Armenia’s authorities over what he described as the absence of a systematic state policy for Armenian prisoners held in…
SOURCE →Davit Ishkhanyan’s Family Criticizes Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Over Lack of Action on Baku Hostages
Yesterday, Davit Ishkhanyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh and an Armenian hostage held in Baku, issued a voice appeal from prison to Armenia’s…
SOURCE →Ruben Vardanyan Nominated for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
A group of internationally recognized human rights defenders and humanitarian leaders has nominated Armenian philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. In a joint…
SOURCE →International Commission of Jurists Condemns Baku’s Politically Motivated Trials of Artsakh Officials as Violations of International Law
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has published an extensive report on Azerbaijan’s justice system titled “Justice Under Pressure: The Independence of Lawyers and the Right to a…
SOURCE →Ruben Vardanyan’s Wife Launches Humanitarian Initiative for Armenian Hostages Held in Azerbaijan
As Armenian hostages remain imprisoned in Azerbaijan, a new humanitarian initiative launched by Veronika Zonabend, the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, is seeking to deliver messages of solidarity from…
SOURCE →U.S. Congressional Leaders Demand Release of Armenian Hostages Held by Azerbaijan
Members of Congress joined a Capitol Hill press conference on June 24 marking the 1,000th day of Azerbaijani detention of Armenian prisoners of war, former Artsakh officials, and…
SOURCE →Illegally Held Armenian Hostage Ruben Vardanyan’s Legal Team to File ECHR Case Against Azerbaijan
Illegally held Armenian hostage Ruben Vardanyan is preparing to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after his legal team obtained a copy of…
SOURCE →Former Artsakh Defense Army Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. Davit Manukyan Releases First Known Public Statement From Azerbaijani Captivity
An audio recording of Armenian hostage Maj. Gen. Davit Manukyan, who is being illegally held by Azerbaijan, has been released, marking his first publicly released statement since he…
SOURCE →Illegally Held Armenian Hostage Ruben Vardanyan Files Case Against Azerbaijan at European Court of Human Rights
Illegally held Armenian hostage Ruben Vardanyan has filed an application against Azerbaijan with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), formally challenging the legality of his prosecution, conviction,…
SOURCE →Corsican Assembly Calls for Immediate Release of 19 Armenian Hostages Held in Azerbaijan
The Corsican Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for the immediate release of 19 Armenian prisoners unlawfully held in Azerbaijan, according to the Artsakh Support Association (ASA). The…
SOURCE →Booking, GetYourGuide Promote Tourism to Occupied Artsakh, Including Mosque Restored With Ruben Vardanyan’s Support
Booking and GetYourGuide are promoting tourism packages to occupied Artsakh, including Shushi and Stepanakert, using the Azerbaijani names “Shusha” and “Khankendi” for the Armenian cities. Among the attractions…
SOURCE →“We May Be Behind Bars, but We Are Not on Our Knees”: Artsakh’s Former Foreign Minister David Babayan Slams Appeal Trial as “Theater”
Another voice from behind the walls of a Baku prison. David Babayan, former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, has spoken after the conclusion of the appellate…
SOURCE →Armenian Human Rights Defender Takes Baku Trials of 15 Armenian Hostages to ECtHR
On August 21, Siranush Sahakyan filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights over violations of rights of 15 Armenians illegally being held in Azerbaijan. The…
SOURCE →Opposition Noyemberyan Community Head Arsen Aghababyan Detained Less Than Three Months Before Local Elections
Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has detained Arsen Aghababyan, head of the Noyemberyan community and a member of the opposition Country to Live party, 24News reports. Aghababyan is reportedly being…
SOURCE →Illegally Held Armenian Hostages in Baku Tortured Over Christian Identity, Crosses Burned From Skin
Armenian hostages illegally held in Azerbaijan have been subjected to torture targeting their Christian identity, including having crosses tattooed on their bodies burned from their skin, human rights…
SOURCE →Azerbaijani Outlet Warns Vardanyan’s Wife Could Face Imprisonment If She Visits Her Husband In Baku
Azerbaijani outlet unikal.az has claimed that Veronika Zonabend could face up to five years in prison if she travels to Baku to visit her husband, illegally held Armenian…
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