Global human rights activists nominate Ruben Vardanyan for Václav Havel award

A group of international human rights advocates has nominated Ruben Vardanyan for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, citing his humanitarian work and advocacy for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. The prestigious Havel Prize, named for the Czech political dissident and statesman, recognizes outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights and is awarded annually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). 

In a joint statement released Monday, the nominating group said the nomination recognizes Vardanyan’s “significant contributions to the protection of human rights worldwide” through the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, as well as his support for Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the statement, the initiative has supported humanitarian efforts and helped save lives around the world. 

Among the signatories are laureates of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, co-founded by Vardanyan in 2015, which recognizes humanitarians globally who risk their lives to save others facing violent conflict or crimes. Of the nomination’s five signatories, four are Aurora laureates: Burundian refugee activist Marguerite Barankitse, American humanitarian doctor working in war-torn Sudan Tom Catena, Congolese human rights defender Julienne Lusenge, and Yazidi activist Mirza Dinnayi.The signatories pointed to Vardanyan’s service in Nagorno-Karabakh during the region’s blockade and humanitarian crisis, describing him as “a defender of the rights of indigenous people” who pursued dialogue and negotiation in a highly sensitive conflict zone. 

The statement also addressed Vardanyan’s imprisonment in Azerbaijan. The signatories said he had been sentenced by an Azerbaijani military court to 20 years in prison on fabricated charges and is currently being held in Baku alongside 18 other Armenians, including former Nagorno-Karabakh officials.Vardanyan and the other officials were detained during the September 2023 mass exodus of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians following an Azerbaijani military offensive and the region's dissolution. The human rights organization Amnesty International has strongly denounced Vardanyan’s detention, calling it a "travesty of justice," highlighting severe violations of fair trial guarantees and international human rights law. The European Parliament has condemned the “unjust detention” of the Armenian prisoners multiple times, calling for their immediate and unconditional release most recently last month. 

“We believe that awarding Ruben Vardanyan the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize would be a fitting tribute to Ruben’s exceptional efforts and a vital step toward securing his release, as well as the release of the other Armenian prisoners held in Baku,” the statement said.