Ruben Vardanyan suspends his hunger strike in Baku prison

During a phone call relayed through his family, former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan sent two audio messages from a Baku prison: he requested that one be published today and the other on Sunday. He also stated that his next statement will only be made at the final court session — and only if representatives of the international community are present.

In the audio message released today, Vardanyan emphasizes that his hunger strike was not merely a protest but an effort to draw attention to the injustice of the trial and the broader situation faced by Armenians.

“I had several goals when I did this, when I declared my hunger strike: to show that there is no trial, but a farce; to show that it is not me who is being judged, but all Armenians and the state itself; and to show the price that had to be paid by all those who, in their hearts, would have been happy to stay and live here [in Artsakh], and not leave,” he said.