Vardanyan's wife has again asked Pashinyan to assist with a visit to the captives in Baku.

Veronika Zonabend, the wife of the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, has once again appealed to international organizations and the authorities of Armenia, urging them to facilitate a visit to Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan. Her previous appeal to the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan went unanswered.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on February 17, the Baku military court sentenced Ruben Vardanyan, the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, to 20 years in prison, with his case being considered separately. The defendant, who led the Karabakh government for only a few months during the blockade of the Lachin corridor, was found guilty of war crimes. Vardanyan refused to file an appeal, explaining that he does not recognize the verdict as an act of justice. Other captives, whose cases were considered separately, also received long sentences. Veronika Zonabend, the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, appealed to international organizations and the authorities of Armenia, urging them to facilitate a visit to Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Veronika Zonabend, the wife of the former state minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan, has once again made an appeal regarding the organization of an international women's humanitarian delegation to visit Armenian prisoners in Baku.

The statement notes that this week marks 100 days since Vardanyan was transferred to the Umbaqi penitentiary complex. Zonabend emphasized that his detention has continued since September 2023, and during all this time he has not been able to meet with his family in person, writes Armenia Today.

She reminded of her appeals to the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva and the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan regarding the preparation of the delegation. Vardanyan's wife emphasized that the goal of this initiative remains purely humanitarian: to visit Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, to deliver letters, photographs, and permitted personal items from relatives, as well as to help maintain their connection with their families. According to Zonabend, to date, no official responses have been received to the appeals sent. Therefore, she has once again sent repeated official letters to Pashinyan and Aliyeva with specific proposals for organizing a humanitarian visit, and today she publicly appealed to them again.

It is fundamentally important for us that the chosen format ensures direct humanitarian contact with the prisoners and the opportunity to deliver permitted items from relatives.

Zonabend stated that she is asking the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan to assist in organizing visits to Armenian prisoners in the Umbaqi prison, to determine the possible format of the visit, the procedure for access and delivery of packages from families, as well as the conditions for the safe entry, stay, and unobstructed exit of delegation members.

"We are ready to discuss various officially agreed formats, including a visit by the entire delegation, a visit by a limited group of participants, or conducting the visit with the accompaniment of a representative of the Ombudsman's office. It is fundamentally important for us that the chosen format ensures direct humanitarian contact with the prisoners and the opportunity to deliver permitted items from relatives," the statement says.

Vardanyan's wife also reiterated her request to the Prime Minister of Armenia to designate a responsible person to coordinate this initiative and to provide the necessary diplomatic and practical assistance for its preparation. She noted that she wants to act openly, responsibly, and through official channels and expressed hope for receiving an official response and readiness for practical cooperation. Former leaders of Artsakh have been sentenced in Baku to terms ranging from 20 years in prison to life imprisonment. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has previously ruled out the possibility of their early release. Since the closure of the International Committee of the Red Cross office in September 2025, no international organization has visited Armenian prisoners.