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Vardanyan Ends Hunger Strike, Warns of Grave Looming Threats to Armenia
- Asbarez
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan announced Thursday that he will be ending a hunger strike he started on February 19 to protest the “show trial,” in which he is currently facing more than 40 charges in a military court in Baku.
Vardanyan, along with other Artsakh leaders and others, was captured after Azerbaijan launched a deadly attack on Artsakh in September, 2023, resulting in the forced displacement of all of its Armenian population.
Vardanyan is being tried separately from the other Artsakh leaders. In the sham trials being staged since January, Vardanyan is being accused of countless charges, including plotting to allegedly assassinate Azerbaijani political officials, which the prosecutors have termed “Operation Nemesis 2.0.”
In a recorded message relayed to his family through a phone call, Vardanyan announced the end of his hunger strike, but emphasized that he is not giving up his fight for justice and fairness, as well as his struggle for the future of Armenia and Artsakh.
Vardanyan prefaced his statement by saying that he went on a hunger strike for specific objectives: To demonstrate that there is no real trial, but rather a show trial; to warn that it is not just him who is being tried, but rather all Armenians and the state itself are on trial; and to show the price those who would have chosen to stay in Artsakh would pay.
He described what had transpired at his last hearing, where two Armenians from Artsakh who were coerced to testify that they were personally aware that Vardanyan had allegedly gone to Artsakh to lead military campaigns against Azerbaijan.
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,” Vardanyan said, in particular.
“The last court hearing was a vivid example of what would happen if the people of Artsakh stayed in their homes and what price they would pay,” Vardanyan said.
“At that hearing, two Artsakh Armenians living in Stepanakert testified against me, including claiming various false things. It is worth noting that these two had never met me during their life. More important, however, they themselves were in a terrible situation, but nevertheless, they appeared in court. I felt very sorry for them,” Vardanyan explained.
“Everyone pays a price for the choices they make,” the former Artsakh State Minister said. “One such example is the Artsakh Armenians who was arrested and taken captive from a Red Cross [medical] convoy, who was subsequently sentenced to 15 years. Another example are the two individuals [who testified].”
“This is a clear warning that no one would be allowed to live in peace in their homes,” Vardanyan said. “At any given time, anyone could find themselves in the place of the two witnesses yesterday or accused of every terrible crime imaginable. And it doesn’t matter at all whether you are guilty or not, whether you have committed these crimes or not,” Vardanyan said, in an attempt to illustrate methods used by Azerbaijan to persecute individuals.
“You have not succeeded in destroying the honor and dignity of ordinary Armenians—not the Armenians of Artsakh, but also all Armenians,” Vardanyan said, criticizing those whom he called “morally bankrupt,” who have deigned to accuse the people of Artsakh of not staying and fighting when Azerbaijan launched its attack in 2023.
Perhaps, Vardanyan was referring to Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, who, earlier this year, made similar remarks, showing his and the ruling party’s overt disdain for Artsakh Armenians.
He also criticized Armenia’s current leaders, saying he is surprised “by the depth of hatred by the current leadership of Armenia toward the people of Artsakh.” He added that statements made by Armenia’s leader a few day ago demonstrated that.
“After losing Artsakh, we will also lose Armenia in the coming years, if we do not radically change our perception toward such concepts as what is the ruling elite, the government, the state, and who should lead us,” Vardanyan said.
“I am confident that we have healthy forces among our people and that we will overcome this difficult crisis, as we have done many times throughout our history, and we will be able to not only simply live, but live with dignity in our homeland. Remember, only a well-rounded person can swim against the current,” Vardanyan concluded.
(c) 2025, Asbarez
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