Human Rights Lawyer Jared Genser Again Criticizes Pashinyan for ‘Not Doing Enough’

Jared Genser, the international human rights lawyer representing Ruben Vardanyan, has once again criticized Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for not taking stronger action to secure the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan. Vardanyan, the former state minister of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), is among the Armenian detainees currently imprisoned in Baku.

Genser took to social media platform X to express his frustration. “I couldn’t agree more with Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that he should make ‘proportionate’ & ‘reasonable’ efforts to free my client Ruben Vardanyan & the other Armenian Christian political prisoners & POWs detained by Azerbaijan. That is precisely why all the items on this list come exclusively from examples of the kinds and of things other governments have done over my 25 years of experience working to recover foreign hostages.  Surely Armenian hostages deserve at least as much help as what other governments provide, no?"

“For example, when I represented two American hostages in Iran, the U.S. government had a dedicated State Envoy on Hostage Affairs, held regular meetings with the families, used diplomatic channels, and imposed sanctions on responsible officials,” Genser wrote. “Yet, as far as I can tell, Armenia has not done any of these things for the Armenian hostages in Azerbaijan.”

Genser directly challenged Prime Minister Pashinyan, asking if he believed these measures were unreasonable. He compared the situation to efforts made by former U.S. President Donald Trump in negotiating the release of American detainees held in Belarus and Venezuela.

During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated that Armenian prisoners in Baku are being subjected to physical and psychological abuse. He described their treatment as unacceptable but did not provide details on the steps his government is taking to secure their release. Opposition members pressed him for clarity, but he insisted that Armenia is acting carefully to avoid causing further harm to the detainees.

Opposition MP Agnesa Khamoyan questioned Pashinyan about specific diplomatic actions taken by Armenia. “What are you doing beyond statements? These are Armenian citizens being tortured in the prisons of a country you are negotiating peace with,” she asked.

Pashinyan responded by saying that efforts toward a peace treaty with Azerbaijan could contribute to resolving the issue. However, he did not clarify whether Armenia had sought intervention from international organizations or allies. The opposition also raised concerns about the recent expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross from Azerbaijan, which has further complicated efforts to monitor the condition of detainees.

Among the Armenian detainees, Ruben Vardanyan has been on a hunger strike for 15 days. He is one of 23 Armenians held in Baku, 16 of whom—including former leaders of Artsakh—are currently on trial. The Armenian government has faced increasing pressure from both opposition figures and the public to take stronger action for their release.

The Armenian government has also faced criticism for its handling of public concerns. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan responded dismissively to a recent protest held in front of the Foreign Ministry, where demonstrators demanded more action on the prisoners’ behalf.

“It’s funny that a protest demanding a statement took place when the statement had already been made,” Mirzoyan said, referring to a government release that was published just 30 minutes before the protest began.

Despite these remarks, Mirzoyan insisted that Armenia is making diplomatic efforts. He cited a speech he gave at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he addressed the issue of Armenian detainees and their rights violations. He also mentioned meetings with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following these discussions, the UN Commissioner publicly called for the release of the prisoners.