A military court in Baku has sentenced businessman and philanthropist, former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, to 20 years in prison.

The Baku Military Court imposed a 20-year prison term on Ruben Vardanyan, a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist who served as State Minister of Artsakh and is facing what his supporters describe as fabricated charges.

At the February 10 hearing, the court announced the conclusion of the trial, after which the panel of judges retired to the deliberation room to deliver a verdict, Haqqin.az reports.

Vardanyan was charged with “crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, and financing terrorism,” although he has never participated in military operations and was not present in Artsakh during the war.