My dad has been in prison for more than 550 days simply for being Christian

Imagine full communities forced to wantonness homes, churches, and graves of ancestors successful conscionable 24 hours. Elderly neighbors collapsing connected upland roads portion fleeing, children crying from hunger, and families separated forever.

This nightmare became a world for 120,000 Armenian Christians erstwhile Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed Nagorno-Karabakh, different known arsenic Artsakh. Among those paying the terms is Ruben Vardanyan, who present sits successful a situation compartment for trying to help.

The past clip this happened to Armenians, America responded heroically. When Ottoman Turks slaughtered 1.5 cardinal Armenian Christians successful the archetypal genocide of the 20th century, mean Americans launched the Near East Relief Foundation, raising implicit $117 cardinal (equivalent to $2.7 cardinal today) to prevention Armenian orphans and refugees, America's archetypal large planetary humanitarian effort. President Wilson championed their cause, calling it "the starving Armenians" successful a operation that entered nationalist vocabulary.

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Those rescued Armenians became portion of America's fabric. Every clip Americans bask Cher's music, ticker Kim Kardashian's shows, oregon retrieve Andre Agassi's tennis victories, they're witnessing the bequest of Armenian Genocide survivors who recovered information successful America.

Today, however, my father, Ruben Vardanyan, has nary dependable to archer his story. For much than 550 days, helium has been a governmental captive for simply advocating for the rights of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to unrecorded successful their ancestral homelands.  

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He is not alone. Today, determination are astatine slightest 23 different Armenian Christian prisoners illegally detained successful Baku. Even much concerning, civilian nine organizations estimation that Azerbaijan besides present holds more than 300 governmental prisoners, a radical that has swollen successful caller months to see much Armenian and Azeri quality rights defenders, journalists, and activists.

My father’s imprisonment stems not from a beingness of governmental activism, but from his unwavering enactment for those facing adversity astir the world, including successful Nagorno-Karabakh. Before helium became a governmental prisoner, helium was known arsenic a businessman and humanitarian. 

Over the past 10 years, his life’s intent has been focused connected philanthropy, particularly successful his autochthonal Armenia. As portion of this work, helium besides co-founded the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, a planetary humanitarian question which honors humanitarians who hazard their lives to assistance others successful places specified arsenic Rwanda, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Ruben Vardanyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, with Marguerite Barankitse. Barankitse was the archetypal Aurora Prize Laureate. This photograph was taken erstwhile Vardanyan visited Barankitse's Maison Shalom structure successful Kigali, Rwanda successful 2019. (Courtesy Aurora Humanitarian Initiative)

As was the lawsuit 110 years ago, we stay hopeful that the United States volition erstwhile again travel to the assistance of Armenians prosecuted for their nationality and religion today. 

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Personally, I americium live due to the fact that my great-grandfather was saved by an American orphanage organized by Christian missionaries successful Etchmiadzin, Armenia. Today, we spot signs that Armenians are again not alone. Most importantly, President Trump has vowed to support persecuted Armenian Christians successful Azerbaijan and beyond. His National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, has besides called for the merchandise of the Armenian governmental prisoners. It is this benignant of enactment and unit that volition yet prevail. 

My household and I look to the enactment of President Donald Trump to fulfill his committedness arsenic a President of Peace. He tin bash this by making the authorities successful Baku recognize that it indispensable adhere to planetary rules and amusement its committedness to bid successful the Caucuses by  releasing my begetter and the different Armenian prisoners.