Court investigation into criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan held

The review hearing of the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, a citizen of Armenia, accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism and other serious crimes under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, continued on February 25, Report informs.

The open court session held at the Baku Military Court was presided by Zeynal Aghayev and attended by judges Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov, as well as reserve judge Gunel Samadova. The accused person was provided with an interpreter in the language he knows, that is, Russian, as well as a lawyer of his choice for his defense.

At the beginning of the session, Ruben Vardanyan and his defense lawyer filed a motion and again objected to the composition of the court.

Prosecutors Vusal Aliyev and Fuad Musayev, defending the state prosecution, commented on the motion and noted that a motion with the same content was considered in previous court proceedings and a corresponding decision was made. It was also reiterated that the criminal procedural legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan contains requirements for determining specific cases of objection to a judge and for the necessity of substantiating that objection. Stating that specific grounds for the issues mentioned in the petition were not determined, the prosecutors requested that the objection be left unconsidered.

After that, the court went into deliberation to consider the objection. According to the decision announced after the deliberation, the objection was left unconsidered. The prosecutors, who stated that specific grounds for the issues mentioned in the motion were not identified, requested that the objection be left unconsidered.

Then, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev voiced the prosecution's proposal on the sequence of examining evidence in the court investigation. The accused Ruben Vardanyan and his defense attorney Avraam Berman did not put forward any proposals on the sequence of examining evidence. After that, Ruben Vardanyan said that he was not feeling well because of his hunger strike.

The judge announced a break for the accused to undergo a medical examination.

After the break, Judge Zeynal Aghayev, who presided over the court session, explained to the parties to the criminal case the procedure for examining evidence in a court investigation. Then, the accused was offered to give a statement, but he refused.

After that, the prosecutors defending the state prosecution began to ask the accused questions about the criminal acts with which he was accused. Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev asked the accused Ruben Vardanyan about his attitude towards the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a result of Armenia's military aggression, the forcible deportation of Azerbaijanis, the torture and killing of prisoners and hostages, the infliction of material damage on the Republic of Azerbaijan, and other facts.

Nasir Bayramov, Head of the Department for the Defense of the Public Prosecution of the Prosecutor General's Office, public prosecutors Fuad Musayev and Vusal Abdullayev asked the accused about the events that prompted the occupation of the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, his relations with citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Lyova Mnatsakanyan and Davit Manukyan, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Fund operating under the guise of humanitarian purposes, the reasons for renouncing the citizenship of the Russian Federation and accepting the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. At the same time, questions were asked about his relations with Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Samvel Babayan, Vitali Balasanyan, Zori Balayan and others.

Assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Assignments Tugay Rahimli asked the accused about the procedure for appointing a state minister for the illegal regime, about who provided the guarantee for his appointment to that position, the identity of the people he consulted in this regard, which territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan he traveled to that were previously under occupation, the activities of the "We and Our Mountains Territorial Development Agency” and the “Artsakh Security and Development Front Movement”.

After that, Ruben Vardanyan’s interview included in the materials of the criminal case was demonstrated and reviewed with the participation of an interpreter. The public prosecutors asked the accused questions about a number of points arising from the interview, including his illegal entry into Karabakh, the sovereign territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, through the territory of Armenia, the currency in circulation on the territory of the former illegal regime, the reason for using the passport of the Republic of Armenia on the territory of that illegal regime, the purposes and grounds for the deployment of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia there, the reasons and purpose of Ruben Vardanyan's speeches expressing the impossibility of coexistence between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, as well as inciting hatred and enmity between the peoples, the financing of the illegal regime and the participation of the Armenian state in this process, and the reason for his short term in the position of "state minister".

The accused Ruben Vardanyan did not answer any of the questions.

The next court hearing is scheduled for March 4.

The next court hearing has commenced at the Baku Judicial Complex in the case of Ruben Vardanyan, who is accused of terrorism, financing terrorism, and several other serious crimes.

According to Report, the hearing is being presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev of the Baku Military Court.

During the previous session, the state prosecutor concluded the reading of the operative part of the indictment.

Ruben Vardanyan has been charged with committing crimes under several articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, including:

• Article 100 – Planning, preparation, initiation, or conduct of an aggressive war
• Article 107 – Deportation or forced displacement of the population
• Article 109 – Persecution
• Article 112 – Unlawful deprivation of liberty in violation of international law
• Article 113 – Use of torture
• Article 114 – Mercenarism
• Article 115 – Violation of the laws and customs of war
• Article 116 – Violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts
• Article 214 – Terrorism
• Article 214-1 – Financing of terrorism

Additionally, Vardanyan is accused of offenses under:

• Article 218 – Organization of a criminal association (criminal organization)
• Article 228 – Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or possession of weapons, ammunition, explosive substances, and explosive devices
• Article 270-1 – Acts threatening aviation security
• Article 278 – Violent seizure or retention of power, violent change of the constitutional order of the state
• Article 279 – Creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law
• Article 318 – Illegal crossing of Azerbaijan’s state border

Vardanyan also faces additional charges under other articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code.