ArmInfo. Reacting to the start of a trial of Ruben Vardanyan, a former de facto State Minister in Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region which Azerbaijan brought back under its full control in 2023, Marie Struthers, Amnesty
International's Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:
"The Azerbaijani authorities claim they have put Ruben Vardanyan on
trial to ensure accountability for crimes of which they accused him.
But by denying him his fair trial rights, they are doing the exact
opposite of justice. Authorities must uphold and ensure the fair
trial rights of Ruben Vardanyan."
"Ruben Vardanyan has raised serious accusations of human rights
violations which include ill-treatment in detention, being coerced to
sign falsified case materials and the opportunity to prepare his
defense. Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently,
impartially and effectively investigate these grave accusations and
bring to justice those suspected to be responsible.
Ruben Vardanyan has raised serious accusations of human rights
violations which include ill-treatment in detention, being coerced to
sign falsified case materials and denied the opportunity to prepare
his defense
Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Eastern Europe and Central
Asia Director
"Authorities must provide Ruben Vardanyan full access to his lawyers,
and adequate time and opportunity to prepare his defense.
"The international community must closely monitor this high-profile
case, to ensure Ruben Vardanyan's fair trial rights and justice."
Ruben Vardanyan, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who moved
to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022 and became the de facto State Minister
the same year, was detained by Azerbaijani authorities on September
27, 2023 amid the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians following
Azerbaijan's military takeover. He has been held in detention since,
and is facing multiple charges, including "financing terrorism" and
"creating illegal armed groups."
In an open letter attributed to him and published in the media, he
complains of numerous violations of his human rights, including the
right to a fair trial. According to the letter, he has spent most of
his detention in solitary confinement and punishment cells, deprived
of basic hygiene, while facing pressure to sign backdated falsified
documents, and being given only one month to familiarize himself and
his defense with a vast cache of case materials in Azeri, a language
he does not understand.
Source