Baku Has Provided No Evidence to Support Accusations Against Ruben Vardanyan

More than eight months have passed since the start of the 'trial' against former Artsakh Prime Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, yet no evidence has been presented indicating that he has personally committed any crime. This was stated in a declaration by the Free Armenian Prisoners initiative.

“Furthermore, during the mentioned time periods, he could not have committed any of the acts he is accused of. All of these so-called 'witnesses' declare that they have never seen Vardanyan and do not personally know him; they have only heard about him from the media,” the statement reads.

The initiative reminds that since the beginning of the 'judicial process' in January 2025, 36 court sessions have taken place. The case is being examined in a military court, separately from the other cases against former leaders of Artsakh. Although Azerbaijani authorities promised an open process, only the state news agency has been allowed to attend, while all inquiries from independent international observers have been rejected or ignored.

Moreover, lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, who represents Armenian prisoners of war in the European Court, has published a report concluding that an unfair trial is taking place in Baku, where the defense is deprived of any real opportunity to contest the charges or prove the defendant's innocence.

The Free Armenian Prisoners initiative reminds that Vardanyan has declared hunger strikes twice as a sign of protest against the ongoing judicial farce. He noted that this 'trial' is an affront to an entire people, an attempt to accuse all those who have aided Nagorno-Karabakh and its residents, as well as all those who have shown compassion.