Ruben Vardanyan, businessman, philanthropist, and former State Minister of Artsakh, continues to face a judicial farce in Baku based on politically motivated charges. During the latest hearing, he submitted several legal motions.
In his first motion, Vardanyan requested that several individuals be questioned as part of the criminal case against him, among them Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, members of the OSCE Minsk Group, and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to Minval.az.
His lawyer, Abraham Berman, expressed support for the motion.
However, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev and Department Head Nasir Bayramov argued that these individuals were unrelated to the accusations brought against Vardanyan. They also stated that the list of evidence and its examination order had already been established, and thus, the prosecution left the motion unexamined.
Alleged “victims” present at the hearing also urged the court to dismiss the request.
Vardanyan later filed another motion, asserting that since he is not a military serviceman, his case should not be tried in a military court. His lawyer supported this request as well.
Special Assistant to the Prosecutor General, Tugay Ragimli, responded that some of the charges involve war crimes, making the military court appropriate for the case. The prosecutor asked that the motion be denied.
Judge Zeynal Agayev stated that the issue of judicial jurisdiction had already been addressed during the preliminary hearing, and that all parties, including the defense, had been informed accordingly.
In another motion, Vardanyan requested copies of decisions made in previous sessions regarding his earlier motions, as well as excerpts from those rulings. His lawyer demanded the court provide them.
The judge replied that Vardanyan already had access to the session transcripts and relevant decisions and would continue to receive them in the same manner moving forward.
In a further motion, Vardanyan contested the charge of illegally crossing Azerbaijan’s state border. He requested that former commanders of the Russian peacekeeping force previously stationed in Karabakh be called as witnesses. His lawyer backed the request.
Judge Agayev ruled that those commanders are unrelated to the case and that the legality of the charges would be assessed at the end of the trial. He left the motion unexamined but allowed for it to be resubmitted later.
In his January 16 statement, Ruben Vardanyan said he has not given any testimony since his arrest except stating his name. He claimed all interrogation records bearing his signature are falsified and said he and his lawyer and interpreter have been subjected to pressure.
