Ruben Vardanyan denied access to his lawyer in Baku since 25 August, says his wife Veronika Zonabend
- Published
- Place
- Baku, Azerbaijan
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Held in Azerbaijan, Ruben Vardanyan has been unable to meet his Azerbaijani lawyer since 25 August, his wife, Veronika Zonabend, said in a statement released on 6 November. She said an international women’s delegation, ready to travel to Baku to deliver letters, photographs and parcels from families to the Armenian prisoners, is still waiting for a reply from Azerbaijan’s human rights ombudswoman, Sabina Aliyeva, whom it has contacted repeatedly. She also noted that Azerbaijani media had suggested she could be arrested if she came to the country. Finally, Veronika Zonabend criticised Armenia’s Foreign Ministry for naming no contact person and leaving her written request unanswered since a meeting on 17 August with lawyer Siranush Sahakyan.
Analysis
A former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan is among at least 19 Armenians held in Azerbaijan, including eight former Karabakh leaders sentenced in February to long prison terms after trials Armenian lawyers call unfair. Neither the peace treaty initialled in August 2025 nor the declaration signed at the White House commits Baku to freeing them. Yerevan says it is counting on dialogue with Azerbaijan; its critics accuse it of inaction.
Possible consequences
The delegation says it can leave as soon as access to the detainees and its members’ safety are guaranteed.
