Ruben Vardanyan rejects Baku trial as prosecutors seek life sentence

(Horizon Weekly) — Imprisoned Armenian businessman and former Artsakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan has issued another defiant statement from an Azerbaijani prison as prosecutors in Baku demanded a life sentence at the conclusion of his trial.

According to a message released by his family, Vardanyan conveyed his remarks during a telephone conversation with his eldest son David on December 17, ahead of what is expected to be his final statement in court.

“I do not recognize what is happening as a judicial process and do not intend to participate in an imitation of justice,” Vardanyan said. “The proceedings taking place in Baku do not meet the basic standards of a fair trial and therefore cannot be regarded as a court in the true sense of the word.”

Azerbaijani prosecutors on December 18 formally called for Vardanyan to be sentenced to life imprisonment, Minval.az reported. His case is being tried separately at the Baku Military Court.

Vardanyan, who served as Artsakh’s state minister from November 2022 to February 2023, was arrested at an Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor during the forced depopulation of the Armenian population following Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military aggression. He faces a wide range of false accusations, including financing terrorism and illegally entering Artsakh, all of which he denies.

In his statement, Vardanyan said he regrets nothing and described his actions as deliberate and conscious. “I am ready to answer for my actions before God,” he said. “The only thing I regret is that I was not able to do more.”

He also reaffirmed Artsakh’s Armenian identity. “Artsakh was, is, and will be, regardless of attempts to rewrite history or impose an alternative interpretation of events,” the statement read.

Vardanyan urged Armenians not to fear death, warning instead against indifference. “It is not death that is frightening,” he said. “What is truly frightening is indifference, a state that enters us quietly and gradually and destroys us from within.”

In a broader message shared by his family, Vardanyan emphasized the importance of living consciously, avoiding harm, and respecting the power of words. He thanked those who continue to support him and said he remains grateful for the opportunity to serve his people.

Azerbaijani prosecutors have also sought life sentences for most of the seven other former Artsakh leaders being tried in a separate case. All were captured during or shortly after the 2023 assault that resulted in the complete displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population.

The Armenian government has faced harsh criticism for failing to secure the release of Vardanyan and other Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan. Court hearings in Vardanyan’s case are continuing, with his final statement expected in the coming days.

Photo: Davit Ghahramanyan