Rubén Vardanyan's Lawyer Discusses Distortions in Court Coverage

At the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the representative of Armenian prisoners' interests, lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, gave an interview to NEWS.am.

“Ms. Sahakyan, in Baku, the judicial farce against Armenian prisoners continues. Yesterday, according to Azerbaijani media, Arkadi Ghukasyan testified, which is hard to consider credible, while hearings regarding Rubén Vardanyan took place two days ago. What information do you have about these recent sessions?”

“If some alternative information regarding Rubén Vardanyan can be obtained through his family's private lawyer, unfortunately, such an opportunity is not available in the cases of others. Of course, testimonies attributed to Arkadi Ghukasyan or anyone else cannot be regarded as credible by us, or by any structure, as the sessions are held behind closed doors without the participation of independent media and experts, depriving us of the opportunity to obtain impartial information. Only an employee from the state news agency Azertaj is present, who represents filtered and distorted information.”

“By the way, it has also been confirmed by Rubén Vardanyan's private lawyer, Abraham Berman, that the media portrays distorted representations of what occurs in the courtroom. According to the information conveyed by him to Vardanyan’s family regarding the last session, at the very beginning of the session, the lawyer drew the court's attention to the distortions of facts by local media.”

“The lawyer clarified that the defense team did not request a review of the court session recordings, as reported by the media, but rather access to the records of the court hearings and the respective audio recordings, which have not been fully provided until now. As you understand, this is entirely a different matter. The lawyer also warned that if distorted messages continue to be disseminated by the media, it could lead to judicial repercussions. Of course, Azerbaijani media reported nothing about this incident during the session. This is a clear fact that proves that the already ongoing judicial farce is being covered with intentional distortions.”

“Additionally, Rubén Vardanyan's lawyer reaffirmed his position of not participating in the interrogation, emphasizing that this is done as a protest against the illegality of the procedural process.”

“Yesterday, a harsh statement was published in the French newspaper Figaro from French lawyers and the presidents of the French bar associations, calling on European countries not to turn a blind eye and to take strict measures against Azerbaijan for gross violations of the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. They stated that Europe could not remain silent in the face of this judicial scandal, and they considered the 'trials' against Armenian prisoners as a manifestation of 'institutionalized tyranny.' Are you familiar with that statement?”

“Yes, I am familiar and share all the concerns expressed in that statement. It would be good if the legal communities of other member states of the Convention also follow the example of French lawyers, demonstrating their commitment to the principles of human rights protection. Indeed, Europe's reputation as a protector of fundamental human rights is at risk, as a country is cynically violating those provisions of the Convention while being one of its parties. Merely condemnatory statements from European institutions are not sufficient; concrete actions, particularly in the form of sanctions, are needed.”