Siranush Sahakyan, a human rights defender and legal representative of Armenian prisoners of war at the European Court of Human Rights, has submitted detailed clarifications about the grave violations of Ruben Vardanyan’s rights during his trial in Baku.
According to Sahakyan, core guarantees of a fair trial have been blatantly violated, particularly the principles of equality of arms and adversarial proceedings. Both the investigative bodies and the court have ignored all motions submitted by the defense, conducting a one-sided investigation with a predetermined outcome. Furthermore, judges have denied Ruben Vardanyan full access to case materials, while also including falsified documents in the case file.
The right to a lawful judge has also been breached: despite being a civilian with no ties to law enforcement or security agencies, Vardanyan’s case has been transferred to a military tribunal.
“As a result, a fundamentally unjust legal process has been established, depriving the defense of any real opportunity to contest the charges or prove innocence. Under such conditions, the very concept of a fair trial becomes a mere formality, stripped of any substance,” Sahakyan emphasized.
She called on international organizations, human rights protection mechanisms, and world leaders to urgently address the case and pressure the Republic of Azerbaijan to fulfill its international obligations.
In Azerbaijan, a show trial is underway against former military-political leaders of Artsakh. Defendants include former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan; former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan; former foreign minister Davit Babayan; among others. Former state minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan’s case is being tried separately.
