Civilnet
By Siranush Adamyan
More than two years after his arrest and days after being sentenced in what human rights advocates describe as a sham trial in Baku, Ruben Vardanyan has sent a message from prison — one that blends poetry, philosophy, and a quiet assertion of inner freedom.
In a phone call with his family, made public on Saturday, Vardanyan thanked those who continue to support him and recited lines inspired by the 14th–15th-century poet Imadeddin Nasimi. He then shared what he called his “formula for life,” a set of principles he said have helped him endure more than 21,000 hours in detention.
Vardanyan, a philanthropist and former Artsakh State Minister, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Baku military court on February 17. His family called the verdict “devastating, though not unexpected,” saying the outcome had been predetermined from the moment of his arrest.
He had been charged separately from seven other former Nagorno-Karabakh officials, who were also convicted earlier this month on sweeping accusations including war crimes, terrorism, and “genocide.” Five received life sentences, while two former presidents were sentenced to 20 years.
The trials followed Azerbaijan’s September 19, 2023, military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh, which came after a nine-month blockade and led to the mass displacement of the region’s Armenian population. International rights groups and European lawmakers have widely criticized the proceedings, citing concerns over due process and describing them as politically motivated. Human rights activists have labeled them “sham trials,” arguing that Azerbaijani courts acted as ratifiers of political decisions rather than independent judicial bodies.
In his own case, Vardanyan refused to mount a defense during the proceedings, calling them “an imitation of justice,” and instead spoke of dignity and peace.
Now, from prison, his message strikes a similar tone.
A philosophy of inner freedom
During the call, Vardanyan expressed gratitude to those who have written to him — especially handwritten letters — and said he deeply appreciates their support.
He then recited Nasimi’s philosophical lines in his own interpretation, adding a final modification: “Though today I am Vardanyan — a humanist, an Armenian — I am smaller than my fame, yet no fame can contain me.”
The passage reflects on the human being as both finite and boundless — body and soul, time and eternity — and rejects confinement as a limit on identity.
After the recitation, Vardanyan shared what he described as a short and long version of his “formula for life.”
The short version reads:
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care sincerely.
Speak from the heart.
Learn continuously by knowing yourself.
Believe without doubt.
Do not fear death.
Forgive, and do not judge.
Walk your path without fear.
In the longer version, he expands on each principle, urging people to live fully in the present moment, to give without expecting anything in return, to avoid fanaticism in faith, and to forgive without judgment. “Walk your path without fear, and leave everything else to God,” he said.
He noted that he recently marked what he called a strange anniversary: 21,000 hours in detention — “seventy-five million moments,” as he put it. Living at that scale, he said, changes how each moment is perceived.
“I love you all,” he told his family. “I am deeply grateful to everyone, and happy that I have such a family, such close and dear people.”
Detention amid political pressure
Vardanyan’s imprisonment comes amid broader international scrutiny of Azerbaijan’s judicial system. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Freedom House have all reported concerns about politically motivated prosecutions in the country. The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture has said ill-treatment of detainees in Azerbaijan remains widespread.
The European Parliament has called for the unconditional release of Armenian detainees held in Baku, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance raised the issue during a recent visit to the region. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has ruled out releasing the prisoners.
In a courtroom, Vardanyan described as staging an “imitation of justice,” and in a prison cell where he counts time in tens of thousands of hours, Vardanyan’s words suggest that, at least in his own telling, the state may control the body — but not the conscience.
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