Hunger strike in support of POWs continues outside UN office

PanARMENIAN.Net - Levon Khachatryan, a member of the Kamq initiative, has been on an indefinite hunger strike since March 3 in front of the UN office in Yerevan, advocating for the Armenian prisoners of war detained in Baku.

"Ruben Vardanyan was a philanthropist; if all those whom Vardanyan has ever helped raise their voices, it will be more audible. But these people need to be united," Khachatryan noted.

Khachatryan stated that he is ready to end his hunger strike only when Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh, who is illegally detained in Azerbaijan, also ends his hunger strike.

"I believe our voice will be more audible if similar actions take place in front of international organizations in the Diaspora or in front of Azerbaijani embassies in other countries. I call on our compatriots in the Diaspora to unite around this issue," he emphasized.

He added that such actions are also necessary to organize in Armenia, near the embassies of different countries.

It is mentioned that during these days, emergency medical doctors have not visited him.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement, emphasizing that it continues to draw the attention of international partners to the issue of releasing Armenian prisoners of war, hostages, and other detainees held in Azerbaijan, as well as to the ongoing staged trials against some of them with gross procedural violations and alarming signs of torture.

Human rights defender Siranush Sahakyan has stated that the photos of former State Minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan indicate visible injuries on the exposed parts of his body. Vardanyan has been on a hunger strike for a week. During the last court session, Vardanyan's health condition sharply deteriorated, and the photos taken during the session showed injuries on his face. Despite this, the court forced him to attend the session. Vardanyan's international lawyer provided details the day before.