Ruben Vardanyan`s son called on the Trump administration to take action to free Armenian prisoners of war in Baku - Catholic Vote

ArmInfo. David Vardanyan, son of former Artsakh State Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, called on the administration of US President Donald Trump to press for the release of all Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan since September 2023 ahead of US Vice President J.D. Vance's visit. This was stated by the American Catholic human rights organization Catholic Vote, according to a report received by ArmInfo.

The organization noted that the visit is connected with a new US diplomatic initiative – the president's regional transportation and economic project, the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (Trump Route - TRIPP). Catholic Vote noted that the peace program, announced by the White House in August 2025, is aimed at ending the long-standing territorial dispute.

Meanwhile, David Vardanyan noted that the August events did not actually lead to the signing of a peace treaty. He recalled that a framework text had been initialed, but it didn't mention a word about Armenians held in Baku. "You can't keep Christians in prison cells and expect the international community to believe in genuine peace," he said.

According to the source, Vardanyan's son expressed gratitude to Trump for prioritizing the protection of Christians worldwide and recalled that the US President had already raised the issue of the fate of Armenian prisoners of war. "This is a unique opportunity to once again show the world that the US President and Vice President are true to their word," Vardanyan stated.

He added that the US Vice President, who has publicly spoken about the global persecution of Christians, could facilitate the release of Armenian prisoners of war through direct contact with regional leaders. "This is an opportunity to achieve great results with little effort. I believe that with the support of the US Vice President, they can be brought home," Vardanyan emphasized.

According to the organization, the philanthropist's son, speaking about the persecution of Christians, also noted that detained Armenians are subject to restrictions even regarding their faith. For example, according to him, during the first week of Vardanyan's arrest, he was not allowed to send him a Bible, although the Azerbaijani authorities did not prohibit sending him other books. "But what's most horrifying is that we received information from other prisoners that body parts of those with tattoos of a cross or other 'signs' were burned off," Vardanyan concluded. As a reminder, Ruben Vardanyan was captured by Azerbaijani occupation forces after the large-scale aggression against Artsakh in September 2023 and the fall of the NKR. He has been held hostage in Azerbaijan for three years now, amidst the inaction of the international community.

It should be noted that the exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in Azerbaijani prisons is still unknown. Experts estimate the number to be several hundred. Today, the Azerbaijani authorities confirm the presence of 19 Armenians in their country. On February 5, a Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to life imprisonment on trumped-up charges, and Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan to 20 years in prison. The so-called court sentenced the remaining Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in prison. The verdict has not yet been announced for philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, whose case has been separated into separate proceedings.