“Today my heart is heavy as a man I deeply admire, a true role-model, has been unjustly detained by Azerbaijan. Each time we spoke, I was touched by his strong love for Armenia and his vision of a bright future for our motherland. His passion , in fact, was one of the reasons I decided to return to Armenia from the USA.
Now that he is faced with this unfair accusation, I want to raise our concern and demand the safe release of Ruben and all other Armenians detained in Azerbaijan. September 30 at 15:00 — ‘Ruben, we are with you!’ A solidarity march in support of Ruben Vardanyan, who was unjustly captured by the Azerbaijani authorities on false charges, will begin at Matenadaran.”
“Amid the all-encompassing tragedy, acute humanitarian crisis and mass resettlement of Artsakh Armenians, there are also individual events that undermine the system of humanitarian values, human dignity and moral norms. One most recent is the illegal arrest of philanthropist and public figure Ruben Vardanyan along with other Armenians by Azerbaijani forces.
Taking into account Ruben Vardanyan’s significant contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and dissemination of genocide prevention ideas, we urge relevant international organizations to take immediate action. Help protect the rights of Ruben Vardanyan and all unjustly arrested Armenians and ensure their release.
P.S. For the eighth year running, the Aurora Prize humanitarian initiative has kept a handwritten chronicle in the Matenadaran, recording the names of Aurora Prize winners who have devoted their lives and careers to humanitarian values. This register bears the name The Book of Philanthropists.”
“The Armenian Assembly condemns the illegal abduction of Ruben Vardanyan by Azerbaijan at an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor on September 27. The charges he faces are beyond absurd. Ruben Vardanyan’s humanitarian contributions have been invaluable for Armenia and the international community. He abandoned his normal life and went to Artsakh to promote its development and to face the hardships resulting from the war and blockade along with residents of the republic. We believe that justice will prevail, and Ruben Vardanyan will be released soon. We express our deepest support to his wife, Veronika Zonabend, his family and friends. Once again, we urge you to be active and appeal to all relevant authorities in your countries of residence.”
“Ruben Vardanyan is a devoted son of the Armenian people and an exceptional patriot of his motherland… We, Armenians, must demand to free our fellow countryman, Ruben Karlenovich, everywhere it is possible! I DEMAND #СВОБОДУРУБЕНУВАРДАНЯНУ [Free Ruben Vardanyan].”
“Vardanyan is a true symbol of the Armenian people. He is a brave person, humanitarian, and philanthropist. The Aurora humanitarian initiative and the Initiatives for Development of Armenia Foundation were founded with Vardanyan’s participation, as well as three international schools: Skolkovo, Matena and Dilijan School.”
“I join my fellow Armenians in demanding the safe release of Ruben Vardanyan and all other detained Armenians. As tens of thousands of families flee Nagorno-Karabakh in search of a safe haven in Armenia, detention is becoming an alarming trend. Ruben Vardanyan stands out as an outspoken supporter of peace not only in our region, but throughout the world. He is a world-renowned philanthropist, businessman and co-founder of the Aurora Prize humanitarian initiative, which advocates building peace and provides education and healthcare to people around the globe. #RubenVardanyan #FreeArmenianHostages.”
“Throughout the most trying days for the people of Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan stood by their side, trying to stop the humanitarian catastrophe and the exodus of this region’s native population. He strived to help find a formula for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis to live together on this long-suffering land side by side, but not together. Instead, we have a formula for the reintegration of Artsakh into Azerbaijan with the following statistics after only one week:
- hundreds dead and thousands wounded;
- more than 50 thousand refugees from Artsakh have already moved to Armenia;
- an endless flow of cars with refugees towards Armenia continues.
I stand next to and support Ruben Vardanyan!”
“Ruben Vardanyan is an Armenian citizen, and our country is dealing with this issue. I cannot say how, for what reasons and on what criminal conviction Vardanyan has been detained. We are currently working with the European Court of Human Rights on this. Returning our citizens back home is our top priority.”
“Ruben Vardanyan is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia called up to the Republic of Artsakh. His only “sin” is that he is a true patriot of his motherland. Azerbaijanis abducted him for his patriotism and devotion to Armenia and Artsakh. This is the fate of people loyal to Armenia and Artsakh. The enemy must constantly weaken our home. The international community must demand Vardanyan’s release from Azerbaijan.”
“Ruben is known primarily as a patron of arts, a philanthropist, a man of charity in Russia and Armenia, someone who implements international humanitarian initiatives. I know Ruben as a true patriot who, together with his people, survived the hardships that befell the motherland. I call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RA to take urgent measures for the return of Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan.”
“I spoke with Ruben about two months ago, and he told me that he would be in Artsakh to the very end, and that he was happy there because he could offer people hope and help. After talking with Ruben, I always felt proud, especially when he spoke about the future, looking 20-30 years ahead, just like a true visionary and politician should. We need smart people who will actually lead us into the economic future, not some vagabonds. His freedom is important for every Armenian and for our future. Please repost! #СВОБОДУРУБЕНУВАРДАНЯНУ [Free Ruben Vardanyan].”
“Ruben Vardanyan has undoubtedly become a heroic figure amid the dramatic events in Armenia. He is a successful businessman, well-known in Russia, well-educated, a man of good-deeds rather than loud statements and TV interviews. He moved to Nagorno-Karabakh more than a year ago. In November 2022, was head of the government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Vardanyan’s personality commands respect due to his fierce defense of his views and approaches to the fate of his country.”
“The situation is unique. This man has built excellent relations throughout his life, donated enormous amounts to charity, implemented fantastic humanitarian projects — he turned out to be inconvenient to everyone all at once.”
“Ruben Vardanyan behaves like a man and is faithful to his declared ideals. He could have run away, but he stayed with his people until the end. This cannot but raise respect for him.”
“If we talk about nationally oriented businesses — there is an expression, especially now and especially in Russia — this is Ruben Vardanyan. He renounced his Russian citizenship. Some say it was to evade sanctions. But, unlike Oleg Tinkov and Arkady Volozh, who were also avoiding sanctions but without renouncing Russian citizenship, he left for Nagorno-Karabakh. He left to spend part of the money on his motherland — to try and help with his managerial skills. At the same time, he was well aware that if this did not work, he could be killed or, at best, locked away. In this situation, most would leave their motherland, but instead Vardanyan went there. This is an act of true patriotism and courage. And we really are hoping for a miracle. We pray that under the international community’s pressure, Azerbaijan will grant amnesty to these people. But I believe that after such an act, one doesn’t believe that prison is the worst punishment, but rather the loss of his homeland. I have no doubt that Vardanyan will be written down in Armenian history textbooks despite there being little mention of businessmen there.”
“I am outraged by Ruben Vardanyan’s arrest and all the lawlessness happening in Karabakh. Using Vardanyan’s example, Baku is trying to intimidate others. I hope that Armenian, Russian and other human rights institutions, including those internationally, will intervene and correct this situation. In fact, Ruben Vardanyan did nothing to give the Azerbaijanis the right to arrest him. This is pure lawlessness.”
“Ruben has done a lot for Russian charity. And he chose to serve his people and follow his beliefs. I really hope that they will be able to pull him out or let him go. It’s a mad, crazy world.”
“Azerbaijanis have detained Ruben Vardanyan. A man who had everything and gave it all up to go to Artsakh. We were once raising funds to treat a boy with an Armenian surname. It was quite a hefty sum. And suddenly a woman called, saying she was from Vardanyan. She said that he wanted to pay for the treatment in full. And he did it. He is a good and honest man. Azerbaijanis, let him go. With dignity.”
“Ruben Vardanyan is a good person. His arrest in Azerbaijan and a term of 14 years in prison based only on the fact that he was a state minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is, of course, an outrage. You see, Vardanyan is a billionaire, he doesn’t need anything, but he still went to Armenia to try to solve the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. He failed in doing so, yes, you can talk about that as much as you like. But he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He didn’t lock himself up with all his money like a scrooge, waiting for other people to sort everything out. He didn’t hide from the problems of his country.”
“As someone who refused to abandon his people, children or adults, in a Disaster situation, Ruben Vardanyan must not suffer the same fate as the great educator Janusz Korczak, who entered the gas chamber with his children from the Dom Sierot orphanage. We must do everything possible so that Ruben Vardanyan can return to his relatives, to his family. So that a new wave of genocide does not engulf the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan. For this reason, I ask everyone who values education, culture and dignity, to raise their voice in support of Ruben Vardanyan, a hero of culture. He is a man of freedom, but with whom a new wave of the Armenian genocide can begin again, now, in September of the 21st century.”
“The Azerbaijani military has detained Ruben Vardanyan, a businessman whose humanitarian ideas fascinated me some time ago. He and his wife Veronika invested $100 million of their own money in an international school in Dilijan. We filmed them and the creation of this modern school for the Patrons program. I found another fact quite intriguing back then: Ruben and Veronica decided not to leave any monetary inheritance to their children, and rather, decided to create a better world for them, one they could influence with educational projects.”
“He understood the complexity of his undertaking perfectly well, but believed that it was possible to implement them in peaceful conditions. Unfortunately, war and creation are often mutually exclusive concepts. Ruben went to Artsakh to create, not to wage war.”
“I wish Ruben Vardanyan a quick release — and to be freed of all troubles. We met personally several times for various reasons in Moscow and Yerevan before and after the outbreak of the war. He is a visionary focused mainly on fascinating social development concepts: overall he is very sociocentric and proactive. I’m not completely familiar with his story, but he acted very decently during the contacts we had. In my opinion, his release is in both Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s interests. Ruben can do a world of good for peace and development in Armenia.”
“I support Ruben Vardanyan with all my heart. In my eyes he is a national hero. And while I believe that no land is worth human lives, the struggle for the right to live on their own land is what allowed many people to survive; Jews and Armenians, most of all. Ruben, a personal acquaintance and, in a way, mentor, has been arrested. He is in Baku. I hope that the Baku authorities will have the nobility and generosity to let him go. I send him a warm embrace. I am with him and those, whose rights he had been defending so courageously during these long months.”
“We call on the authorities to take all measures to ensure that due legal process is followed and that rights to fair trials are given as required by international human rights law. It is crucial that the rights of Ruben Vardanyan and any other detainees are fully respected and protected.”
“As of now, he is only accused of financing terrorists, but as we all know, these accusations can pile up indefinitely. The move is completely political. In fact, they took him hostage. We all know that Ruben is not only a symbol of the Armenian people’s strength, but has long been a pillar of Russian policy in the Caucasus. And to Azerbaijan, he symbolizes everything they are fighting against: Armenian independence, perseverance, unrestrained energy.”
“After decades of earning unthinkable riches, having influential foreign friends and holding acclaim at festivals, now his largest interest in life is the national interests of his people.”
“Ruben Vardanyan has been detained. As I understand, he was heading for Armenia. I really hope that Ruben will be fine, I am sincerely worried about him. Ruben is an extraordinary person who has done a lot for the Russian stock market; he was there at the beginning. He is someone I can proudly call my friend, someone I trust. By the way, a few months ago, I recorded an interview with Ruben about Nagorno-Karabakh. I am following the news closely.”
“I asked him why, being neither poor nor under sanctions, would he stayed in Nagorno-Karabakh with no certainties? Wouldn’t he rather live a quiet life somewhere in Europe? Ruben replied that when he decided to stay in Artsakh he was well aware of the consequences existing for both him and his family.”
