By Lia Avagyan
Veronika Zonabend, the wife of jailed philanthropist and former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, has appealed to international and government officials for support in organizing a humanitarian delegation to visit Armenians held in Azerbaijan.
At least 19 Armenian detainees, including Vardanyan and several former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders, remain in Azerbaijani custody following Azerbaijan's military takeover of the region in September 2023. Armenia has repeatedly called for their release, while international human rights organizations have raised concerns about their detention and legal proceedings.
In a statement, Zonabend said she had sent open letters to key international and government figures as part of preparations for an international women's humanitarian delegation to Baku.
"The purpose of this initiative remains exclusively humanitarian: to meet with the Human Rights Commissioner of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to visit Armenian citizens held in Azerbaijan, and to deliver to them letters, photographs, and permitted personal items from their families," she said.
Zonabend said the initiative was being pursued through official diplomatic channels to ensure transparency and the safety of all participants.
"It is essential for the participants and their families to understand that this initiative is being prepared in an official framework and with the necessary guarantees, so that the visit does not pose a risk to anyone's life or safety," she said.
According to Zonabend, she has written to Azerbaijan's Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva, International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, requesting their support in organizing or facilitating the visit.
For those held in prolonged detention, she said, such a mission would help maintain contact with their families and draw attention to their situation.
"This is a matter of a fundamental human right — to know what is happening to those we love, to be able to send them words of support, and to let them know they have not been forgotten," Zonabend said.
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