Responding to the conviction and 20-year sentence of Ruben Vardanyan, the last of 16 ethnic Armenians put on trial by Azerbaijan in connection with their roles in Azerbaijan’s break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Karabakh) prior to its takeover by Azerbaijani forces in 2023, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:
“The conviction of the 16 defendants, culminating in this sentence against Ruben Vardanyan, is nothing short of a travesty. The fact that Ruben Vardanyan and the others, several civilians like himself, were tried before a military court in itself raises serious concerns and is incompatible with fair trial guarantees. While victims of the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in both Armenia and Azerbaijan deserve truth, justice, reparations and assurances of non-repetition, these convictions constitute an affront to all victims of crimes under international law.”
“Accused of a plethora of extremely serious crimes, Ruben Vardanyan and other defendants were tried in an effectively closed hearing, based on ‘evidence’ in a language they could not understand and that was not adequately translated. Even the charges – over 40 against Vardanyan alone – including “terrorism” and “crimes against humanity” were not fully publicly disclosed during proceedings. Amnesty International requested information from the Azerbaijani authorities about the trial and the evidence but received no response.
“Azerbaijan must comply with its obligations under international human rights law and ensure that all those accused of crimes are tried in full compliance with international law and fair trial standards.”
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Background
A prominent businessman, Ruben Vardanyan moved from Russia to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022 and was detained by the Azerbaijani authorities on 27 September 2023 amid the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians following Azerbaijan’s military takeover of the region. He faced multiple charges, including “financing terrorism,” “creating illegal armed group” and “violent seizure of power.”
Amnesty International expressed concern regarding his fair trial rights, citing allegations of ill-treatment, coerced signature of falsified case materials and denial of adequate time to prepare his defence, and called for an investigation into these reported violations.
On 5 February, the same court sentenced 15 other defendants, including former leaders of the self-proclaimed “Republic of Artsakh.” Five, including the former de facto President Araik Arutyunyan, received life sentences. The defendants, both civilian and military, were accused of 2,548 crimes overall, including “genocide,” “slavery,” “enforced disappearance” and “financing terrorism.”
Amnesty International
