Protest in support of Armenian prisoners to be held outside Foreign Ministry

Mesrop Arakelyan, co-founder of the Country of Living party, has called a protest outside the Armenian Foreign Ministry on Friday to demand action for the release of Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

Vardanyan, a businessman and philanthropist, is facing urgent health threats one week after going on hunger strike to protest against the judicial farce in Baku.

"I am Armenian and I cannot remain indifferent to the fate of Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenians imprisoned in Baku," Arakelyan wrote on Facebook.

"I will be at the Foreign Ministry at 12 p.m. on February 28 to demand that Armenia’s foreign policy authorities issue an urgent statement and convene a meeting with diplomats accredited in the country.

"The silence of the Armenian government and the international community is tantamount to tacit support for Azerbaijan’s brutalities. We will show the world that we do not accept this," he added.