Czech newspaper highlights  Ruben Vardanyan`s nomination  for Vaclav  Havel Human Rights Prize

ArmInfo.  The Czech newspaper Lidove noviny has covered the nomination of Ruben  Vardanyan, currently imprisoned in Baku, for the 2026 Vaclav Havel  Human Rights Prize, analyzing the matter in the context of both  regional and domestic political developments.

"A group of human rights activists from Armenia and abroad nominated  Vardanyan for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize. They argue that  despite his wealth and personal comfort, Vardanyan embarked on a  literal "suicide mission" in an attempt to save the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh at a time, when it was already clear that Azerbaijan  would seize the territory and Russia would led things run their  course," the newspaper writes. The author of the article, Tomas  Vlach, cites a statement from the nominating group, which reads that  "Vardanyan risked his personal safety and comfortable future to try  to achieve dialogue, negotiations, and mutual understanding in one of  the world's most complex and sensitive conflict zones."

He writes that it is not yet clear how the nomination will unfold.  "The fate of about two dozen Armenian prisoners from Nagorno-Karabakh  held in Azerbaijani prisons ( eight of whom are politicians)  has  received virtually no international attention, while human rights  activists consider these cases politically motivated," the author  further notes. He also cites a statement from Amnesty International,  which described the trials in Baku as a "mockery of justice".