Ruben Vardanyan sends a New Year’s message from Baku prison as prosecutors seek life sentence

(Horizon Weekly) — Ruben Vardanyan has issued a New Year message from an Azerbaijani prison in Baku, as his trial enters its final phase with prosecutors demanding a life sentence under sweeping and highly politicized charges.

Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh, has been held in custody since September 2023, after Azerbaijani forces detained him at the Lachin Corridor during the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Artsakh. He now faces fabricated charges ranging from terrorism to war crimes, all brought before an Azerbaijani military court operating under conditions that exclude transparency, independent oversight, or due process.

In his message, transmitted through his legal team, Vardanyan spoke of resilience and moral responsibility, stating that imprisonment has not shaken his convictions or sense of duty. The message comes amid mounting concern over the fate of Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan following the 2023 aggression, which resulted in the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.

The Azerbaijani prosecution’s request for a life sentence marks a sharp escalation in Baku’s post-war campaign against former Artsakh officials. The proceedings have been held behind closed doors and widely criticized for relying on fabricated accusations.

Vardanyan’s case has become one of the most prominent examples of Azerbaijan’s broader use of judicial mechanisms to legitimize the outcome of military force and silence Armenian political figures. Despite repeated calls for international intervention, he remains illegally imprisoned as diplomatic efforts to address the status of Armenian detainees have produced no tangible results.

As the trial nears its conclusion, Vardanyan’s continued detention underscores the unresolved human rights dimension of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and the absence of accountability for abuses committed in its aftermath.