Charges against Ruben Vardanyan announced in Baku court

The review session of court hearings on the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen charged with torture, mercenary activity, violation of the laws and customs of warfare, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, continued on February 13, Report informs via AZERTAC.

The open hearings were held at the Baku Military Court in the Baku Court Complex, presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with a panel of judges consisting of Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samadova).

The Head of the Department of Public Prosecution of the Prosecutor General's Office, Nasir Bayramov, read out the specific charges brought against the accused Ruben Vardanyan.

In particular, he stated that, according to the indictment, in September 2022, Ruben Vardanyan illegally crossed the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan bypassing state checkpoints from the territory of the Republic of Armenia in the direction of Lachin district, entered the territory of Azerbaijan, and settled in an area temporarily controlled by Russian peacekeepers in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan.

He collected the funds belonging to himself and citizens of various countries under the guise of the “Aurora” foundation, which he co-founded allegedly for “humanitarian purposes”, the “We are our mountains” organization and other aid campaigns, and used these funds to financially support the armed formations and groups not provided for by Azerbaijani legislation, provide them with military equipment, illegally acquire and import military weapons and equipment into the territory of Azerbaijan, and stored them in specially organized military warehouses.

In addition, he paid monthly salaries to members of what he called “local self-defense groups” not provided for by Azerbaijani legislation, as well as other armed groups and units consisting mainly of professional soldiers. He also colluded with Vladimir (Vova) Levanovich Vartanov, the founder of the terrorist organization “VoMa”, and provided funds for the organization of training for the purpose of committing acts of terror acts against Azerbaijani citizens by instructors of that organization.

He also negotiated with representatives of “AKVA”, a company operating in the Russian Federation, to establish a joint venture for the production of guided anti-aircraft missiles and complexes, target detection stations, battery and radio transmitter blocks, and other devices for use against civilian and military facilities in the occupied sovereign territories of Azerbaijan. He also negotiated and gave relevant instructions on the purchase of helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) intended for use by illegal armed groups in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and the construction of a plant to produce them, as well as the purchase and delivery of radio-electronic warfare systems to illegal armed groups.

At the same time, Ruben Vardanyan, in an action plan personally drawn up by him, put forward the initiative to launch the “Nemesis-2” terrorist operation to commit acts of terror against representatives of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic corps abroad, citizens performing their official and public duties.