Armenian church leader asked to urge Ruben Vardanyan to end his hunger strike in Baku jail

Twenty-five prominent women have sent a letter to His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, urging him to call on businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan to end his life-threatening hunger strike in a Baku prison. 

The letter reads:

"At this critical moment in Armenian history, when 23 Armenian hostages, including military and political leaders of the ethnically cleansed and occupied Republic of Artsakh, who are being subjected to torture amid sham trials in Baku; when Ruben Vardanyan has been on a hunger strike for 22 days, demanding a fair trial from Aliyev’s regime and when the fate of approximately 80 forcibly disappeared Armenians remains unknown, we, Armenian women and mothers, turn to You with unwavering hope and faith, seeking Your patriarchal support.

In Your capacity as the Catholicos of All Armenians, we implore You to make a fatherly appeal to Ruben Vardanyan, urging him to end his life-threatening hunger strike, which has already had a profound political impact. The time has come to shift to other forms of struggle, as the life and health of every compatriot are invaluable to us all. We are confident that Your wise and measured words, Your call for action and the power of Your prayer will serve as a guiding light, awaited not only by Ruben Vardanyan but by the entire Armenian nation.

We acknowledge the efforts You and the Holy See representatives are making to ensure a fair trial and the swiftest possible release of our compatriots, who are enduring torture in Baku prisons simply for being Armenian and for defending Artsakh’s right to self-determination.

Your esteemed international standing, relationships with sister churches and ties with spiritual leaders of Islamic states can play a pivotal role in advancing this national cause. We stand ready to support You in this mission."