Rubén Vardanyan's Rights Grossly Violated in Baku: Siranush Sahakyan

Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, representing Armenian prisoners of war at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), has provided clarifications regarding gross violations of Rubén Vardanyan's rights in Baku's court.

The human rights defender stated that guarantees of a fair trial have been grossly violated, particularly the principles of equality of the parties and competition. Both the investigative bodies and the court have ignored all motions presented by the defense, conducting a one-sided and predetermined investigation.

Furthermore, the judges have denied Vardanyan full access to the case materials while attaching falsified documents to the case. Guarantee rights have also been violated, as the case has been transferred to a military tribunal, despite the fact that Rubén Vardanyan is a civilian and has never had any connection with law enforcement or security agencies.

“As a result, a fundamentally unjust procedural situation has been created, where the defending side is deprived of any realistic opportunity to contest the charges or prove its innocence. Under such conditions, the very concept of a fair trial turns into a formality, devoid of any substance,” Sahakyan emphasized.