BOSTON (Panarmenian.am) — The co-founder of the Aurora humanitarian initiative and chairman of Moderna, Noubar Afeyan, stated in an interview with CNN on March 17 that any peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan must include the release of prisoners.
He added that if a peace agreement does not provide for the release of detainees, it will have no real value.
Afeyan emphasized the importance of understanding the full context of events. He pointed out that Azerbaijan launched an attack on a region that had been an independent republic for nearly 30 years, populated exclusively by Armenians who had lived there in their historical homeland, according to the Free Armenian Prisoners team.
“Following a year-long blockade, the attack led to the displacement of 120,000 Armenians, which numerous experts have classified as ethnic cleansing. Among those displaced was Ruben Vardanyan, who was engaged in humanitarian efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh and served as state minister for three months.”
The accusations against Vardanyan, following a year of delays and extended detention, cover numerous aspects. In fact, there are 42 charges, many of which relate to the period before he even moved to Karabakh, dating back to the late 1980s when he was a student in Moscow. This, Afeyan stated, is an attempt at a sham trial, throwing every possible charge against him. The criminal case against him consists of 250,000 pages, written in Azeri, a language he does not understand, and without translation.
“Essentially, he is being accused of charges he cannot comprehend, with evidence entirely controlled by the state,” he said.
CNN’s Paula Newton recalled that Vardanyan had gone on a hunger strike in protest but had recently ended it. She asked Afeyan whether he had any updates on Vardanyan’s health and if any communication had been possible.
Afeyan stated that Vardanyan has only been allowed limited phone contact with his family, meaning that any information about his condition comes from these brief calls. This was Vardanyan’s second hunger strike; the previous one occurred in April 2023 and lasted 20 days. According to Afeyan, Vardanyan sought to draw international attention to the unjust nature of his trial, as an open and fair judicial process would allow him to defend himself.
Afeyan noted that Vardanyan’s only physical visits had come from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). However, Azerbaijan recently banned the ICRC from operating in the country. The same has happened with the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees. As a result, Afeyan said, Vardanyan is facing a closed and non-transparent judicial process.
Newton asked Afeyan whether a final peace agreement was possible and what impact it could have on the fate of detainees.
In response, Afeyan noted that the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump had issued two official statements demanding the release of detainees. The first was a personal social media post by Trump, while the second was a statement by his national security adviser Michael Waltz, reiterating the same demand.
Afeyan stressed that any peace agreement that does not include the release of prisoners contradicts the stance of the Trump administration and its official messages. He also pointed out that historically, peace treaties imposed under military aggression and ethnic cleansing have not been sustainable in the long run.
As a member of the Armenian diaspora who has long supported Armenia’s development, Afeyan emphasized that he, too, wants to see a peace agreement signed, but it must be a genuine and just one. He added that Azerbaijan may be using this conflict for internal political purposes, while restrictions on freedom of expression continue in the country.
U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz has stated that he told Azerbaijan’s national security adviser Hikmet Hajiyev that prisoners must be released and a peace deal with Armenia must be finalized.
Vardanyan’s lawyer, Jared Genser, has urged Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to carefully review statements made by former U.S. President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz.
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