Ex-ombudsman: Ruben Vardanyan, other Armenian hostages brutally tortured in sham Azerbaijani trials

Former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan calls for the immediate release of Ruben Vardanyan and other former Artsakh leaders illegally imprisoned in Azerbaijan and subjected to brutal torture in show trials.

“Ruben Vardanyan and all other Armenian hostages and captives are being brutally tortured through sham Azerbaijani trials, aimed at fulfilling the Azerbaijani authorities’ thirst for revenge, resolving political issues, asserting their power at the expense of the Armenian people’s dignity, undermining our national consciousness, and deepening tension and division among us,” he wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

“These “trials” are necessary for the Azerbaijani authorities to legitimize their false political theses, to cleanse themselves of responsibility for ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, and to create grounds for aggression against Armenia.

“Ruben Vardanyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Babayan, Davit Manukyan, Arayik Harutyunyan and our other compatriots must be immediately released— every minute and hour of their captivity is a grave crime. We will also send targeted appeals to international organizations and the public, backed by the necessary justifications,” Tatoyan added.