“For the people of Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan is not just an official who held the post of state minister for some time, but a man whose devotion to his people was never doubted. During the worst times of the blockade, he saved from hunger those who could not survive on their own. He opened a free canteen and replenished the food reserve of the region. He organized cultural centers. He supported the elderly and children. The Azerbaijani authorities declared him a criminal for this activity and detained him on September 27 last year. It is not clear why Azerbaijan is stalling and for what geopolitical purposes it plans to use Vardanyan’s arrest. In any case, the most advantageous position now for the image of Aliyev and Azerbaijan is to pardon the former state minister. It will play much better for the country’s reputation on the world arena”.