Armenia’s Foreign Ministry ready to meet Ruben Vardanyan’s wife over Baku detainees

(Horizon Media / YEREVAN) — Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed readiness to meet with Veronika Zonabend, the wife of Armenian philanthropist and former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who remains imprisoned in Azerbaijan, to discuss the situation of Armenians held in Baku and efforts aimed at securing their release.

The Armenian government confirmed that contact has already been established with Zonabend and that she has been provided with the details of the appropriate Foreign Ministry official so that a meeting can be arranged at a mutually convenient time.

The move follows an open letter Zonabend addressed to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July 8, in which she announced her intention to travel to Baku as part of an international humanitarian delegation of women.

Responding to an inquiry from NEWS.am on August 5, the government said it was aware of the concerns raised in Zonabend’s letter and, given the sensitivity of the matter, was prepared to brief her on measures being taken to secure the return of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan and to protect their rights.

The inquiry also raised concerns over the prolonged absence of independent humanitarian access to Armenian prisoners and hostages in Azerbaijan. The International Committee of the Red Cross last visited Armenian detainees in Baku in December 2025, prompting renewed questions about efforts to restore regular contact with families and access by international humanitarian and human rights organizations.

Ruben Vardanyan is among the former political and military leaders of Artsakh currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan following the September 2023 Azerbaijani military offensive and the subsequent forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population.