The legal team of former State Minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan, convicted in a fabricated criminal case in Baku, has labeled the court’s verdict against him as unfounded and unlawful. The statement was published on Vardanyan’s Facebook page.

“This verdict is not the result of an independent and impartial judicial process, but a predictable outcome of proceedings driven by political considerations, entirely incompatible with the guarantees of a fair trial.

As members of his legal team, we declare that this judgment is legally baseless. From the outset, the trial was marked by serious and systemic violations of both Azerbaijan’s domestic legislation and its international obligations. The court failed to meet the standards of independence and impartiality enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. The formulation and substance of the charges undermined the presumption of innocence.

The defense was deprived of adequate access to the case materials and was given grossly insufficient time to review them. Repeated attempts to file motions and present exculpatory evidence were obstructed. Mr. Vardanyan was not afforded a meaningful opportunity to work fully with counsel of his choosing. These are not mere procedural breaches; they directly stripped him of the fundamental right to mount an effective defense.

The principle of equality of arms was not upheld. Mr. Vardanyan was not given a genuine opportunity to challenge the charges before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal. Under such circumstances, the verdict cannot be considered impartial. The nature of the accusations further underscores their political character.

Mr. Vardanyan has been held criminally liable not for proven individual acts, but for his political engagement and public service within the institutions of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. Modern criminal law, both domestic and international, does not permit the criminalization of identity, political affiliation or association with governing institutions absent specific and proven criminal conduct.

The totality of these violations leads to an inescapable conclusion: Ruben Vardanyan was deprived of his right to a fair trial in all respects. His conviction reflects the broader policy toward ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and raises profound concerns regarding the rule of law. Therefore, this trial, like the recent proceedings against fifteen other Armenians, is unlawful.

We call on international organizations, human rights protection mechanisms and responsible governments to take immediate and concrete steps to safeguard Mr. Vardanyan’s rights and secure his release, as well as that of other Armenians unlawfully convicted and held in Baku. The normalization of politically motivated prosecutions threatens not only the individuals concerned, but also the credibility of the international legal order,” the statement said.

The statement was signed by Siranush Sahakyan, head of the Center for International and Comparative Law and representative of Armenian prisoners’ interests before the European Court of Human Rights, Yeghishe Kirakosyan, managing partner at Equity Law Partners, and Taron Simonyan, founding partner of ELL Partnership.

On February 17, the Baku Military Court delivered a guilty verdict against Ruben Vardanyan, sentencing him to 20 years in prison.