Former Karabakh state minister went on hunger strike in Baku prison

Former state minister of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, who was detained by the Azerbaijani authorities last September, went on a hunger strike in a Baku prison. About it reports “Echo of the Caucasus” with reference to a statement by Vardanyan’s family.

“The family of illegally arrested philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan reports that Vardanyan has gone on a hunger strike, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of him and other Armenian prisoners illegally held in Baku,” the statement said.

It is reported that Vardanyan went on a hunger strike on April 5, after which “his telephone calls to family members were stopped.”

How writes According to Hetq, the hunger strike began after “repeated requests from Vardanyan and his lawyer to conduct a timely, fair and transparent trial in accordance with international legal standards.” It is noted that the court hearing was initially scheduled for January, but then it was postponed to May.

Vardanyan is accused of three counts: financing terrorism; participation in the creation and activities of armed formations or groups not provided for by law; illegal crossing of the state border. Vardanyan’s family called the charges politically motivated.

• Vardanyan is an investment banker born in Yerevan, one of the key figures in the Russian stock market in the 90s. At the end of 2022, he renounced Russian citizenship and moved to the unrecognized republic, heading its government.
• In February 2023, Vardanyan was relieved of his post as Minister of State of Nagorno-Karabakh – he worked in this position for almost four months.
• In 2023, Azerbaijan carried out a military operation in the region, as a result of which the unrecognized Armenian republic ceased to exist in it, and about 120 thousand people were forced to leave their homes. In September, Vardanyan was detained by Azerbaijani authorities while attempting to leave the region.