Ruben Vardanyan nominated for 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

A group of prominent human rights defenders from different countries around the world have nominated Ruben Vardanyan for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. The nominating group has issued a statement, which is presented below.

Announcement: Ruben Vardanyan Nominated for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

We, the undersigned, advocates for human rights across the globe, hereby announce that we have nominated the Armenian humanitarian Ruben Vardanyan for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

This nomination recognizes Ruben’s significant contributions to the protection of human rights worldwide through the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, as well as his dedication to the rights of his compatriots in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). We firmly believe that Ruben Vardanyan is deserving of this award.

The Aurora Prize, which was co-founded by Ruben Vardanyan, Noubar Afeyan, and the late Vartan Gregorian, has empowered laureates to continue their vital work in the field of human rights, literally saving thousands of lives across various countries and continents. Ruben believes that goodness is eternal and immortal, and that it gains strength whenever a kind deed is performed. Through his vision and support, it has been possible to protect the rights of individuals in dire circumstances, providing them with a second chance at life.

For Ruben, the protection of human dignity and human rights stands above all else. For this reason, his decision to stand by his compatriots in Nagorno-Karabakh by moving there during their time of extreme hardship resonated deeply with all of us. In Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben served as a defender of the rights of indigenous people. A pacifist by nature and conviction, Ruben risked his personal safety and a comfortable future to pursue pathways for dialogue, negotiation, and mutual understanding in one of the world’s most complex and sensitive conflict zones.

In 1995, at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the European Court of Human Rights, Václav Havel voiced the hope that “human reason, decency, solidarity and preparedness to seek understanding and to live together in fairness will triumph over everything which threatens them.” Ruben is a carrier and follower of this very same ideology and these enduring values. Therefore, we firmly assert that his exceptional activities are entirely in line with the spirit of this award and the principles espoused by Václav Havel.

By a cruel irony of fate, Ruben Vardanyan, a humanitarian and advocate for human rights, now finds himself in need of the very protection he championed for others for decades. He has been sentenced by an Azerbaijani military court to 20 years in prison on fabricated charges and is currently being held in a Baku prison alongside several other notable figures from Nagorno-Karabakh.

We believe that awarding Ruben Vardanyan the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize would be a fitting tribute to Ruben’s exceptional efforts and a vital step toward securing his release, as well as the release of the other Armenian prisoners held in Baku.

Nominating Group:

Vahan Zanoyan, Author, anti-trafficking advocate, and global energy consultant.

Marguerite Barankitse, Burundian human rights activist, founder of Maison Shalom.

Tom Catena, American physician and humanitarian, founder of Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains, Sudan.

Julienne Lusenge, human rights defender and humanitarian from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, co-founder of Female Solidarity for Integrated Peace and Development (SOFEPADI) and director of the Congolese Women’s Fund.

Mirza Dinnayi, Yazidi human rights defender and activist, co-founder and director of Luftbrücke Irak (Air Bridge Iraq).

The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize is named after the legendary Czech figure who served as the last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic, a playwright, a publicist, and a human rights defender.

The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize is awarded annually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Czech Government, the Václav Havel Library, and the Charta 77 Foundation.The prize has been awarded annually since its establishment in 2013, with the aim of recognizing the exceptional actions of individuals and organizations dedicated to the protection of human rights.It is noteworthy that out of the 12 laureates to date, nine have been, or currently remain, convicted for their activities.

The 2014 prize, in particular, was awarded to convicted Azerbaijani human rights defender Anar Mammadli. In 2022, it was bestowed upon Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was convicted at the time, and in 2023, to Turkish philanthropist, businessman, and human rights defender Osman Kavala, who is currently in prison.

In 2016, the prize was awarded to Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad, who is also the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.According to the prize statutes, the name of the laureate is announced every year in September, in Strasbourg, during the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

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