Mane Tandilyan accuses Armenian leadership of inaction on prisoners

For six days, Mane Tandilyan, co-founder of the Country to Live party, has been on a hunger strike in Yerevan’s Liberty Square, urging former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan, to end his own hunger strike and drawing international attention to the sham trials of Armenian prisoners held there.

Tandilyan was hospitalized after her health deteriorated on Wednesday, but she refused treatment and resumed the protest. Speaking to Panorama.am on Thursday, the politician said that while doctors advised her to stop the strike, it's up to her to make a decision.

“My request remains unchanged. Ruben Vardanyan is in far worse conditions, deprived of proper medical care. While I have caring doctors monitoring me, he is left with only Azerbaijani doctors at best. His hunger strike is life-threatening and his health has suffered irreversible damage. I feel ashamed for the entire Armenian nation that a patriot like him could die in a Baku prison. How are we going to live with that? We are waiting for the return of all Armenian prisoners every single day,” she said.

Tandilyan accused the Armenian authorities of inaction, stating that if they were making any genuine efforts to secure the release of prisoners, they would be boasting about it on social media.

“If they were truly working to repatriate him, they wouldn’t be saying that Vardanyan still has to answer who sent him to Artsakh.  Instead of helping, they are piling up legal cases against him. They only speak about the prisoners when they feel pressured by [Azerbaijani President] Aliyev, using them as bargaining chips,” she stated.

"Not only do the authorities fail to make enough efforts, but they also benefit from the ongoing captivity of Armenians in Baku, seeing patriots as a threat.

“Our only hope lies with the Armenian people and the international community. Economic sanctions are the most effective way to pressure Aliyev. His financial interests are extensive and if his pocket is hit, he will be forced to change his approach,” she added.