In Baku, the trial of prominent businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, former State Minister of Artsakh, has continued as part of a fabricated criminal case. The latest court session featured testimonies from so-called victims and their legal successors.
Despite Vardanyan never having participated in combat operations or being in Artsakh during wartime, the alleged victims testified about injuries and events from military operations that occurred on Artsakh territory.
For example, Sadiq Mammadali claimed he sustained a leg injury during shelling in the Kelbajar direction, according to Minval.az .
The court also presented forensic medical reports during the session.
The next hearing has been scheduled for September 9.
In September 2023, following a nine-month blockade of Artsakh and the ethnic cleansing of its entire Armenian population, Azerbaijan captured former Artsakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, and several other former officials. The fabricated charges against them could result in life imprisonment. The politically motivated trial began in Baku on January 17. Vardanyan’s case is being handled separately.
