Imagine waking up tomorrow morning to find your entire community forced from their homes, your church desecrated, and the graves of your ancestors left behind. Imagine elderly family members collapsing in exhaustion, children crying from hunger, and families torn apart forever. For 120,000 Armenian Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh—known as Artsakh—this nightmare became a grim reality when Azerbaijan launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against their community.
Among those paying the steepest price is Ruben Vardanyan, a humanitarian whose only “crime” was daring to stand up for the rights of his fellow Armenians. Today, he languishes in a prison cell, another casualty in a long-running campaign of persecution against Christians in the region. For more than 550 days, Ruben has been held captive by Azerbaijan’s regime, simply for advocating peaceful coexistence and basic human dignity.
History has tragically repeated itself. Over a century ago, when Ottoman Turks butchered 1.5 million Armenian Christians, America responded heroically. Americans from all walks of life donated generously to the Near East Relief Foundation, raising the equivalent of $2.7 billion today to rescue Armenian orphans and refugees. President Woodrow Wilson himself championed their cause, forever embedding the phrase “the starving Armenians” into our collective memory. Those survivors became proud Americans, whose descendants—like Cher, Andre Agassi, and even Kim Kardashian—enriched our culture.
Today, their descendants face yet another existential threat. Ruben Vardanyan is not alone. At least 23 other Armenian Christian political prisoners are unjustly detained in Azerbaijan, with human rights groups reporting over 300 prisoners of conscience in the country. This persecution is indicative of a broader crisis that demands America’s attention.
Ruben Vardanyan’s story is not one of political ambition or activism. Rather, it is a testament to the Christian values of charity, compassion, and sacrifice. Before his imprisonment, Ruben was renowned as a successful businessman and philanthropist. Co-founding the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, he honored brave men and women who risked their lives to help others in Rwanda, Afghanistan, and beyond. His life’s work has been dedicated to alleviating suffering and championing the forgotten.
Today, Ruben himself has become one of the forgotten. Yet, hope remains alive. President Donald Trump has publicly vowed to protect persecuted Armenian Christians in Azerbaijan and across the globe. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz recently demanded the immediate release of Armenian political prisoners, sending a clear message to the authoritarian regime in Baku that America will not tolerate religious persecution.
As conservatives, we understand the importance of religious freedom and the dignity of every human life. President Trump has consistently demonstrated his commitment to these values, making bold strides to defend persecuted Christians worldwide. Now, his administration must harness America’s full diplomatic and economic might to pressure Azerbaijan into releasing Ruben Vardanyan and all prisoners unjustly held for their faith.
America First means standing up against tyranny, defending the powerless, and championing the values upon which our nation was founded. It means refusing to turn a blind eye to injustice, even when it occurs halfway across the globe. Azerbaijan must understand clearly that their actions have consequences, and that the United States is watching closely.
In the name of justice, compassion, and basic human decency, we must rally behind Ruben Vardanyan and demand his immediate release. It is time to remind the world that America remains a beacon of hope for the oppressed, a defender of religious freedom, and a nation that will not tolerate persecution of Christians—or anyone—for their beliefs.
The Trump administration has the power to secure freedom for Ruben and countless others. Let us stand resolutely behind our president and those suffering unjustly, and demand that Azerbaijan release Ruben Vardanyan and end their persecution of Armenian Christians immediately.