Azerbaijan deals with Armenians following intimidation logic - David  Vardanyan 

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan looks at Armenians with the logic of intimidation, humiliation and with the desire to go even further. This was stated by David Vardanyan, the  son of Ruben Vardanyan, who is illegally detained in Baku, in an  interview with the French publication LE SPECTACLE DU MONDE.

Referring to the conditions of his father's detention in the Baku  prison, David noted that this is an issue that is both simple and  complex at the same time.

"The situation in Baku is completely devoid of transparency. We do  not clearly know what is really happening there. A year ago, in April  2024, when my father was on a hunger strike in protest against his  arrest, we had no news about him for two weeks. If you ask me about  yesterday or today, we have no information. Theoretically, we have  the opportunity to talk on the phone at least once a week. It is also  clear that every time there is no news, we start to worry," he noted.

Touching on how they manage to maintain contact with Ruben Vardanyan,  the son noted that primarily through the International Committee of  the Red Cross. According to him, this is not easy, since the  organization has many established rules, and the number of contacts  is limited.

"But obviously, it is always better than having nothing at all.  Another option is a few minutes on the phone, which we can use every  week. But we never know whether there will be a phone call next week.  This is left to the will of Azerbaijan. We can also send letters, but  this is actually even more difficult. Once I received a letter nine  months late... In any case, this issue is no longer on the agenda,  since Baku is going to ban the activities of the Red Cross." - he  noted.

David added that there is a lawyer on the spot, but he is under  significant pressure. According to him, there is also an  international human rights activist who is monitoring the case from  the United States, but the family is unable to visit him.

When asked what plan Baku is implementing by arresting Ruben  Vardanyan, David agreed that it was not a coincidence. "It is no  coincidence that my father's arrest in September 2023 was specially  filmed. This is part of their strategy. They want to show Armenians  around the world what they can do to us. Baku is using my father's  image and his authority to send a message to the whole world.  Unfortunately, we can say that they are succeeding in this to some  extent. Azerbaijan looks at Armenians with the logic of intimidation,  humiliation and with the desire to go even further. Tomorrow they can  tell the residents of Yerevan: "Do you want to live safely? Well  then, now that Artsakh is already ours, we want the Syunik region,  then, maybe, peace will be established." Azerbaijan does not hide  this fact, since it currently considers the territory of all of  Armenia to be "Western Azerbaijan". This rhetoric, in my opinion, is  very alarming for Armenia," David believes. 

Regarding the staged trial itself, Vardanyan Jr. noted that it is a  theater of the absurd. "My father is facing 44 charges, all of which  are obviously groundless. The prosecution has not presented any  material evidence to this day. Our lawyer has not been able to obtain  the documents in the case. We are talking about a 25,000-page case,  which is entirely in Azerbaijani. Therefore, without familiarity with  the details of the case, it is impossible for our lawyers to prepare  my father's defense. The Azerbaijani government constantly repeats  that the trial is open to journalists and public organizations.  However, during the latest court hearings, journalists from Reuters  and other agencies were barred from entering the court. This is  nothing more than proof that the trial is exceptional. Amnesty  International has already condemned the biased nature of this trial,"  he noted.

When asked what could contribute to the release of Ruben and his 22  fellow sufferers, David expressed his conviction that the main thing  is not to remain silent. "In order for Baku to succeed, everyone  needs to remain silent about the genocide committed by Azerbaijan.  Baku wants the world to continue to look the other way. So, the most  important thing is to talk about it, to write about it. On social  networks, on the radio, everywhere. I know that the French government  is doing a lot to help the Armenians. We need to talk to the  ambassadors of Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of  America. And, naturally, we need to ask the Europeans about gas,"  Vardanyan Jr. said, also drawing attention to the policy of double  standards pursued by the head of the European Commission Ursula von  der Leyen and Great Britain.

When asked whether this judicial farce has attracted the attention of  the new American administration, David noted that many Armenians are  quite pessimistic about the new Republican administration.

"But honestly, what has the Biden administration done for us? Just  words. In fact, I remember that Donald Trump expressed his  determination to protect the identity and rights of Christians. I  think this is a really important topic for him. In addition, this is  an issue that is also raised within his team. At the level of  individuals like Marco Rubio or Michael Waltz. They are Christians,  and the issue of human rights is important to them, particularly in  the case of Iran. It is of utmost importance that the Armenian  government shows the new administration that we are a Christian  people in our culture and rights. This is a historic opportunity to  change the position of the American government," he believes.  Touching on the assistance of the diaspora, Vardanyan's son noted  that it helps us a lot. However, according to him, the problem lies  in the differences in the positions of the diaspora and the Armenian  authorities, who should deal with this issue.

"The issue of prisoners is an existential issue. Pashinyan says that  the problem is important. There are things that a small country can  do to protect itself. For example, to ensure the release of its  prisoners of war. At the moment, we hope that the situation will  change. We need to talk about this situation, and you, journalists,  can cover this situation so that our prisoners of war are not doomed  to oblivion," he concluded.