The charges against former State Minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan and other former officials are clearly politically motivated, Ruben Vardanyan’s lawyer, Jared Genser, stated in an interview with Azatutyun (RFE/RL’s Armenian Service). The interview has been conducted in English, translated into Armenian by Azatutyun, and then translated back to English by the FreeArmenianHostages.net site.
Azatutyun: – What real risks does Ruben Vardanyan face, not only legally but also physically? What is the latest information about his health following two hunger strikes, especially considering the prison conditions?
Jared Genser: – I would start with the prison conditions, which are terrible not only for him but, in fact, for all Armenian detainees. This is a well-known fact. He has clearly lost a significant amount of weight since being taken into custody and has experienced some health issues. We are particularly concerned that the International Committee of the Red Cross is no longer able to visit Ruben or the other Armenian prisoners. They were an independent source, able to interact with him and raise concerns with the authorities about prison conditions. The lack of independent monitoring is, clearly, a major concern. You know, for example, Ruben and the others are not even allowed to have a Bible.
Azatutyun: – Was it taken away from him? Because he previously had something in his hands. We saw in footage that he was reading something.
Jared Genser: – During the trial, yes. But it is not available to him within the prison system, even though he should have every right to have it. As Ruben Vardanyan’s international legal counsel, I have actually not been able to establish contact with him or have even a single conversation, which is, of course, a violation of international law.
But I think the most important point is that if you look at the cases against Ruben and the other former officials of Artsakh, it becomes clear that the charges are obviously politically motivated and have nothing to do with anything other than the fact that, by leading the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, they were exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly, peaceful association, and the right of peoples to self-determination.
Aliyev very clearly sought to ethnically cleanse the Armenian Christian population—around 200,000 people—and this appears to be the beginning of that campaign. He also, of course, went after many former leaders like Ruben and forced the government to dissolve itself so that it would no longer exist. All of this is part of a long-term plan that he had openly declared for years.
So yes, the charges against Ruben and the others are politically motivated. And when you now look at the more than 40 charges filed against Ruben, you can see they relate to alleged crimes with which he literally had no connection. Even the so-called trial witnesses are not claiming that he was involved in any way—which is why it becomes all the more absurd.
The cases are being tried in a military court, but under international law, civilians should not be tried in military courts. In fact, this is illegal under international law because military judges and prosecutors are not independent or impartial. They are accountable to the commander-in-chief, who, in this case, is President Aliyev. So the outcome is predetermined. In the end, Ruben will be convicted, and the others will be convicted as well.
Ultimately, this is more of a political issue—namely, how to get them out of there, how to free political prisoners who are being held by dictators.
“If the detainees are not released at the time of signing the peace agreement, their cases cannot be raised in the future.”
Azatutyun: – How would you assess the actions taken so far by the Armenian government? Are they doing enough, or doing anything at all, for the release of Ruben Vardanyan and the others who are imprisoned?
Jared Genser: – Well, you know, I’ve spoken quite openly and critically in the past about the lack of visible effort we’ve seen publicly from the Armenian government. And I’ve presented Prime Minister Pashinyan with several ideas on how he could engage more openly and assertively.
I was, frankly, concerned by the recent comments made by the Foreign Minister, suggesting there are no discussions currently underway regarding the detainees. But that is not the end of the story. It’s very important to emphasize that, during the Trump administration, the White House was in direct contact with Aliyev on these matters. So this is not solely Armenia’s issue.
You know, I think it’s very, very important for Prime Minister Pashinyan to understand and recognize the urgency of this. He is, clearly, where he needs to be—preparing to sign a peace agreement. But that agreement reportedly includes a clause stating that both sides will withdraw all claims from international courts and will no longer be able to raise these issues.
That means, if the detainees are not released before or at the time of signing, their fate cannot be brought up later. They will remain trapped in Azerbaijan, and Aliyev will be free to do whatever he wants with them.
“The prisoner deal likely won’t be just between Yerevan and Baku—The U.S. will play a key role.”
Jared Genser: – I know that several people who have met with Prime Minister Pashinyan over the past, say, six months, have conveyed to him that President Trump has a different stance on these issues compared to President Biden. This is genuinely a high priority. It’s also an important issue for evangelical Christians, who make up a significant part of Trump’s voter base.
And from what I understand, these are the kinds of messages senior officials from the Trump camp have been relaying to Pashinyan. So, ultimately, the deal on the detainees probably won’t be just between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The United States is going to play a crucial role in this.
And I think President Trump sees that. We saw it, for example, when Steve Witkoff traveled to Baku to meet with Aliyev. That indicated President Trump recognizes there is an opportunity to reach an agreement. And he understands that the detainees need to be part of that process—either beforehand or simultaneously.
So, at this point, I think the issue is far broader and bigger than just what Pashinyan can do. But it’s clear that he needs to encourage President Trump to get involved to ensure that all detainees are released. I believe that’s what he must do—both publicly and privately.