What to do to help Ruben Vardanyan and the other prisoners: Abraham Gasparyan proposes solutions

There needs to be a serious pan-Armenian campaign to help the Armenian prisoners held in Baku. This campaign requires immense effort and consistency, Political Scientist Abraham Gasparyan said during his program “Change the Channel with Abraham Gasparyan”.

“Relying on the authorities is pointless. Perhaps the only pressure will come from the streets, where we can force the authorities to halt any negotiations or dialogue with Azerbaijan until the conditions for the imprisoned boys improve and opportunities for their fair trial are created—of which I am very skeptical. This pan-Armenian campaign must be led by the Church and political entities in Armenia and the Diaspora that can mobilize resources and human capital and have connections worldwide. The Armenian Catholic and Evangelical churches should not be left on the sidelines. We must ensure the active mediation of the World Council of Churches and utilize all platforms for Christian-Muslim dialogue,” Gasparyan said.

He noted that alongside this, we must formulate clear demands to the world and pursue their implementation.

Below are the points proposed by Abraham Gasparyan:

• A ban on the supply of weapons and military equipment, especially from Western countries;
• Financial sanctions against Azerbaijan’s state banks and major companies;
• International lawsuits on torture, war crimes, and genocidal policies;
• A review of energy cooperation with the EU, as Azerbaijan has been increasing gas exports to Europe since 2022, purportedly to reduce dependence on Russia.

“The demands are quite comprehensive and realistic, but they require meticulous attention and significant administrative and organizational efforts, in the case of which, I believe, we will achieve success,” the political scientist stated.