Imagine entire communities forced to abandon homes, churches, and graves of ancestors in just 24 hours. Elderly neighbors collapsing on mountain roads while fleeing, children crying from hunger, and families separated forever.
This nightmare became a reality for 120,000 Armenian Christians when Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed Nagorno-Karabakh, otherwise known as Artsakh. Among those paying the price is Ruben Vardanyan, who now sits in a prison cell for trying to help.
The last time this happened to Armenians, America responded heroically. When Ottoman Turks slaughtered 1.5 million Armenian Christians in the first genocide of the 20th century, ordinary Americans launched the Near East Relief Foundation, raising over $117 million (equivalent to $2.7 billion today) to save Armenian orphans and refugees, America’s first major international humanitarian effort. President Wilson championed their cause, calling it “the starving Armenians” in a phrase that entered national vocabulary.
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Those rescued Armenians became part of America’s fabric. Every time Americans enjoy Cher’s music, watch Kim Kardashian’s shows, or remember Andre Agassi’s tennis victories, they’re witnessing the legacy of Armenian Genocide survivors who found safety in America.
Today, however, my father, Ruben Vardanyan, has no voice to tell his story. For more than 550 days, he has been a political prisoner for simply advocating for the rights of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their ancestral homelands.
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He is not alone. Today, there are at least 23 other Armenian Christian prisoners illegally detained in Baku. Even more concerning, civil society organizations estimate that Azerbaijan also now holds more than 300 political prisoners, a group that has swollen in recent months to include more Armenian and Azeri human rights defenders, journalists, and activists.
My father’s imprisonment stems not from a life of political activism, but from his unwavering support for those facing adversity around the world, including in Nagorno-Karabakh. Before he became a political prisoner, he was known as a businessman and humanitarian.
Over the last 10 years, his life’s purpose has been focused on philanthropy, especially in his native Armenia. As part of this work, he also co-founded the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, a global humanitarian movement which honors humanitarians who risk their lives to help others in places such as Rwanda, Iran, and Afghanistan.
As was the case 110 years ago, we remain hopeful that the United States will once again come to the aid of Armenians prosecuted for their nationality and faith today.
Personally, I am alive because my great-grandfather was saved by an American orphanage organized by Christian missionaries in Etchmiadzin, Armenia. Today, we see signs that Armenians are again not alone. Most importantly, President Trump has vowed to protect persecuted Armenian Christians in Azerbaijan and beyond. His National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, has also called for the release of the Armenian political prisoners. It is this kind of support and pressure that will ultimately prevail.
My family and I look to the leadership of President Donald Trump to fulfill his commitment as a President of Peace. He can do this by making the regime in Baku understand that it must adhere to international rules and show its commitment to peace in the Caucuses by releasing my father and the other Armenian prisoners.