The Foreign Ministry has verbally conveyed a meeting proposal to Veronika Zonabend, wife of Ruben Vardanyan, who is being held in an Azerbaijani prison. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan confirmed the information, RFE/RL reports.
The ministry clarified that a proposal to meet Zonabend had already been discussed before her August 10 statement, but was actually conveyed to her after the statement.
Earlier on August 10, Veronika Zonabend said no one from the government had contacted her, despite previous statements that contact had been made.
Asked who specifically from the Foreign Ministry would meet Veronika Zonabend, the ministry spokesperson said “the meeting will be organized cooperatively by the competent agencies.”
According to RFE/RL, the timing of the meeting is currently being coordinated.
In June, the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Azerbaijan, announced a humanitarian initiative under which she intends to organize a visit to Baku by an international delegation of women.
Noting that Armenian citizens have for years been deprived of regular and independent humanitarian contact with their relatives, Veronika Zonabend appealed to Azerbaijan’s ombudsperson. She asked for the delegation’s visit to Baku to be facilitated, for a meeting to be arranged with Armenian prisoners held at Umbaki prison, and for parcels, photographs and letters prepared by their families to be delivered to them.
“For the prisoners, this is a reminder that they have not been forgotten,” Ruben Vardanyan’s wife said. She also plans to travel to Baku as part of the delegation.
Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan earlier said that, for security reasons, the delegation will not include ethnic Armenian women. The initiative is expected to involve prominent foreign women human rights advocates.
In July, Vardanyan’s wife sent letters twice to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s ombudsperson concerning the planned visit to Baku.
Vardanyan’s wife had asked Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to “appoint a person responsible for coordinating the initiative and provide the diplomatic and practical support necessary to prepare the visit.” Ten days after this letter was sent on July 30, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry effectively established contact with Veronika Zonabend.
On August 8, in a message marking the first anniversary of the Washington summit, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said “all of us are deeply concerned that our compatriots are being held in detention in Azerbaijan.” Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement in Washington a year ago, but the issue of Armenian prisoners remained outside it. Nineteen Armenians are currently being held in Azerbaijan.
