Court hearing of criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan continued on February 13

The court hearing on the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen accused under various articles of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic including torture, mercenary activity, violation of laws and customs of war, terrorism, terrorism financing, and other charges, continued on February 13, Report informs.

At the open court session held at the Baku Military Court located in the Baku Court Complex, presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), the accused was provided with an interpreter in Russian (a language he speaks), as well as lawyers for his defense.

The court session was attended by victims, their legal successors and representatives, prosecutors defending the state prosecution, as well as Rufat Mammadov, Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Office, as a representative of the victims on behalf of the Azerbaijani state.

At the beginning of the session, Ruben Vardanyan and his defense lawyer Avraam Berman requested the court to arrange conditions for a confidential meeting.

The court granted the motion and announced a recess for the confidential meeting.

After the recess, Ruben Vardanyan stated that he refused the state-appointed defender Azer Maharramov and that he'd like his rights to be defended by his contracted lawyer Avraam Berman.

The prosecution and the victims' representative did not object to the motion.

The court deliberated on the spot and granted the motion.

Then the session continued with the prosecutors defending the state prosecution announcing the conclusive part of the indictment.

At this court session, the indictment announced details regarding the military aggression against Azerbaijan, which was carried out under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, its state institutions' officials, military forces and illegal armed formations, through verbal and written assignments, instructions and directives, with material, technical and personnel support, centralized management, and strict control, in violation of domestic and international law norms on Azerbaijan's territory. The indictment included episodes about damage caused to Azerbaijan Army's defense arsenal, Azerbaijan Republic's ecology and nature during the aggressive war conducted by Armenia and the mentioned criminal organization under the leadership and direct or indirect participation of Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Vazgen Manukyan, Vazgen Sargsyan, Samvel Babayan, Vitaly Balasanyan, Zori Balayan, Seyran Ohanyan, Arshavir Karamyan, Monte Melkonian and others. It also covered the mining of Azerbaijan's sovereign occupied territories, specific charges against Ruben Vardanyan, as well as the number of killed and attempted to be killed civilians and military personnel.

The Special Assistant to the Prosecutor General, Tugay Rahimli, has announced the number of civilian and military personnel killed and attempted to be killed, as well as the damage inflicted on Azerbaijan's military defense arsenal, ecology, and nature by the criminal organization participating in the aggressive war conducted by Armenia.

It was noted that from the late 1980s until September 20, 2023, material damage of more than 13.4 billion manats ($7.88 billion) was caused to the ecology and nature of the Republic of Azerbaijan by destroying trees, bushes, and other vegetation, polluting water sources, water basins, and reservoirs, as well as destroying agricultural lands in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

In 1988-2024, a total of 18,351 people were intentionally killed, including 3,053 civilians, 15,298 military personnel, 17,607 men, 744 women; of whom 401 were children. Additionally, a total of 55,177 people suffered various degrees of bodily injuries, including 3,710 civilians, 51,467 military personnel, 54,103 men, 1,074 women; of whom 457 were children.

During the aggressive war against the Republic of Azerbaijan, military property worth more than 908 million manats ($534.1 million) was deliberately destroyed, rendered unusable, and captured from Azerbaijan Army's defense arsenal.

Subsequently, Nasir Bayramov, head of the department for State Prosecution Support at the Prosecutor General's Office, announced specific charges against the accused person Ruben Vardanyan.

According to the indictment, it was stated that in September 2022, Ruben Vardanyan illegally crossed the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan from the territory of the Republic of Armenia in the direction of the Lachin district, bypassing the state's checkpoints, entered Azerbaijan's territory, and settled in the area of Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region where Russian peacekeepers were temporarily deployed.

He collected funds belonging to himself and citizens of various foreign countries under the guise of "humanitarian purposes" through the "Aurora" foundation, which he co-founded, the "We Are Our Mountains" organization, and other aid campaigns. Using these funds, he materially supported and equipped illegal armed formations and groups against the Azerbaijani legislation, illegally acquired and brought military weapons and equipment into Azerbaijan, and stored them in specially organized military warehouses.

In addition, he provided monthly payments to members of what he called "local self-defense units," which are against the Azerbaijani legislation, as well as other armed detachments and groups consisting mainly of professional military personnel. He also made arrangements with Vladimir (Vova) Vartanov, the founder of the terrorist organization "VoMa," providing funds for organizing training sessions aimed at carrying out terrorist acts against Azerbaijani citizens by the organization's instructors.

Furthermore, he negotiated with the "AKVA" company operating in the Russian Federation to establish mass production of guided anti-aircraft missiles and systems, target detection stations, battery and radio transmitter blocks, and other devices for use against civilian and military facilities in Azerbaijan's occupied sovereign territories, and to create a joint enterprise for this purpose. He also conducted negotiations and gave relevant instructions regarding the purchase of helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) intended for use by illegal armed formations in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the construction of a factory to produce them, as well as the purchase and delivery of electronic warfare systems to illegal armed formations.

At the same time, in his personally drafted action plan, Ruben Vardanyan proposed the initiative to launch the "Nemesis-2" terrorist operation against Azerbaijan's diplomatic corps representatives in foreign countries and citizens performing their official duties and public obligations.

Continuing the announcement of charges, the Chief Prosecutor's Senior Assistant Vusal Aliyev, along with state prosecutors Fuad Musayev, Vusal Abdullayev, and Tarana Mammadova, presented facts about the mining of Azerbaijan's sovereign territories when occupied by the Armenian state and the continuation of military aggression through this means. It was particularly emphasized that some of the mines buried in the occupied territories were manufactured in Armenia.

Given the large volume of the indictment, it was announced that its declaration would continue in the next proceeding.

The next court session is scheduled for February 17.

Ruben Vardanyan is accused of committing acts under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Article 100 (planning and conducting aggressive war), 107 (deportation or forced displacement of population), 109 (persecution), 112 (illegal deprivation of liberty contrary to international law norms), 113 (torture), 114 (mercenarism), 115 (violation of laws and customs of war), 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism).

He is also charged with committing acts under Article 218 (creating a criminal organization), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and carrying of weapons, their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1 (acts creating threats to aviation security), 278 (violent seizure of power and violent retention of power, forced change of constitutional order), 279 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by legislation), 318 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan) and other articles of the Criminal Code.

A preparatory session of the trial against Ruben Vardanyan accused of torture, mercenary, violating the laws or customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, continued on Thursday, Report informs.

The trial is held at the Baku Military Court within the Baku Court Complex, presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev.

In the previous session, Ruben Vardanyan and his lawyers claimed that the panel of judges was interested in criminal prosecution, citing the failure to grant the motions raised, and objected to the composition of the court.

The objection was left unconsidered.

Ruben Vardanyan is accused of committing the following crimes under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning and waging an aggressive war), Article 107 (deportation or forcible transfer of population), Article 109 (persecution), Article 112 (deprivation of liberty in violation of international law), Article 113 (torture), Article 114 (mercenarism), Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war), Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), Article 214 (terrorism), Article 214-1 (financing of terrorism).

Additionally, he is charged with committing the following crimes under the same code: Article 218 (establishment of a criminal organization), Article 228 (Illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation and carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies, explosives), Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security), Article 278 (violent seizure of power or violent deduction of power, violent change of the constitutional system of the state), Article 279 (Creation of armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation), Article 318 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan), and other related offenses.