A group of prominent human rights advocates from different countries has nominated well-known businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently imprisoned in Baku, for the 2026 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.
The nomination was based on his activities in the field of human rights protection and humanitarian initiatives.
“We, the undersigned engaged in human rights protection in different countries around the world, declare that we have nominated Armenian philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan for the 2026 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.
This nomination is based on Ruben’s significant contribution to the protection of human rights worldwide through the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, as well as his commitment to raising awareness about protecting the rights of his compatriots in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). We firmly believe that Ruben Vardanyan rightfully deserves this award,” the statement said.
The authors of the statement stressed that the Aurora initiative, co-founded by Ruben Vardanyan, Noubar Afeyan and Vartan Gregorian, has made it possible to support numerous human rights programs and help thousands of people in different countries around the world.
They also emphasized that Vardanyan acted in Nagorno-Karabakh as a defender of the rights of the local population and sought to promote dialogue and mutual understanding.
The statement also noted that Ruben Vardanyan is currently being held in Baku and, according to the authors, has been convicted on fabricated charges. They expressed the belief that awarding the prize could become an important step toward securing his release and the release of other Armenian prisoners held in Baku.
The statement was signed by human rights advocates, doctors and public figures from various countries, including writer and anti-trafficking advocate Vahan Zanoyan, Burundian human rights activist and founder of Maison Shalom Marguerite Barankitse, American physician and philanthropist Tom Catena, founder of the Mother of Mercy Hospital in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, as well as rights advocates Julien Lusenge and Mirza Dinnayi.
The Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize was established in 2013 and is awarded annually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for outstanding work in the protection of human rights.
