05:48, 20 August 2025

Baku court refuses to consider Vardanyan's defense appeal

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The defense of former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan filed a protest with the panel of judges, but it was not considered. Testimony in court was given by citizens of Azerbaijan who suffered during the military actions in the Karabakh conflict zone.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, the Baku Military Court is considering charges against former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan. The articles imputed to him provide for life imprisonment. Since April 1, the victims have been speaking at the hearings, demanding the "harshest" punishment for Vardanyan. The defendant and his lawyer have protested several times to the court, but all motions to disqualify the judges have been rejected. At the hearing on June 24, Vardanyan protested to the court panel, but they refused to consider his motion.

Azerbaijan has 15 former Karabakh officials in custody, including former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan, as well as former parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan and former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, whose case is being heard separately. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "Vardanyan and 15 Karabakh leaders: the main thing about the courts in Baku".

At the next court hearing on the case of Ruben Vardanyan, his lawyer Avraham Berman expressed a protest to his colleague judges, and his client supported the protest. Judge Zeynal Agayev stated that the defense had repeatedly filed protests, and there were no new circumstances in the current one, which is why it was not brought up for discussion, Oxu.az wrote on August 19.

The legal successors of a number of Azerbaijani citizens (at least five people) who died during the clashes on the territory of Karabakh, in particular the shelling of Khojavend, Khojaly, and Kelbajar, gave testimony in court. About 40 witnesses said that they were wounded under similar circumstances. A number of Karabakh residents reported injuries sustained as a result of mine explosions. The results of forensic examinations conducted on the victims of mine explosions and other victims - at least 16 people in total - were also announced.

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Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/413969