Veronika Zonabend, the wife of Ruben Vardanyan, who is illegally detained in Baku, has again sent official letters to Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, in order to organize the visit of the humanitarian delegation of international women to Baku.

“Veronica Zonabend’s Repetition.”
July 31, 2026

This week, 100 days have passed since Ruben was transferred to the Umbak penal complex. His detention has been ongoing since September 2023, and during all that time he has never been able to meet his family in person.

Earlier, I sent applications to the Human Rights Commissioner of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, in connection with the preparation of the humanitarian delegation of international women to Baku.

The purpose of this initiative remains exclusively humanitarian: to visit the Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, to deliver them family letters, photographs and permitted personal belongings, as well as to help maintain their contact with their families.

To date, no official responses have been received to the applications sent.

Therefore, on July 30, I again sent official letters to Ms. Sabina Aliyeva and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with specific proposals regarding the practical organization of the humanitarian visit. Today I am also addressing them publicly again.

I am asking Mrs. Aliyeva to support the organization of visiting the Armenian prisoners held in the Umbak penal complex, to define the possible format of the visit, the order of entry and transfer of parcels from families, as well as the conditions of safe entry, stay and unobstructed exit of the participants of the delegation.

We are ready to discuss various formally agreed formats, including the visit of the entire delegation, the visit of a limited group of participants or the implementation of a visit accompanied by a representative of the staff of the Human Rights Commissioner.

It is fundamentally important for us that the chosen format ensures direct humanitarian contact with the prisoners and enables them to transfer the permitted items from their relatives.

I again ask the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to appoint a person responsible for the coordination of this initiative and provide the necessary diplomatic and practical support for its preparation.

I want to act in open, responsible and official ways.

I hope for an official answer and readiness for practical cooperation.

Veronika Zonabend”, the text of the application reads.

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