The former Karabakh leader said he was ‘dissatisfied with the course of the trial’.
Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, has dismissed his lawyer during his ongoing trial in Azerbaijan’s military court, deepening concerns over the fairness of proceedings against Armenian detainees held in Baku.
According to Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet APA, Vardanyan informed the court that he was withdrawing his defence counsel, Avram Berman, after a private consultation during Tuesday’s hearing. The court accepted the motion and ruled that he would be assigned a state-appointed lawyer. APA quoted court officials as saying that Vardanyan was ‘generally dissatisfied with the course of the trial’.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Azerbaijani prosecutors have charged Vardanyan under more than two dozen articles of the criminal code, including crimes against peace and humanity, terrorism, financing terrorism, and attempted murder. The court said he had been provided with a Russian-language interpreter and that the proceedings would continue on 28 October.
Vardanyan, a Russian–Armenian businessperson and philanthropist, was detained by Azerbaijani border guards in September 2023 while attempting to leave Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor days after Baku’s military offensive that led to the exodus of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the region. He previously served as Nagorno-Karabakh’s State Minister from November 2022 to February 2023, when he was dismissed amid tensions with Azerbaijani authorities.
Since his arrest, he has faced multiple charges, all of which he denies. His trial, held largely behind closed doors at the Baku Military Court, has been criticised by human rights groups for lacking transparency and for restricting access to his lawyers and family. International observers and the Armenian government have demanded access to Vardanyan and other ethnic Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan, warning that their cases highlight the political nature of the prosecutions.
According to human rights defenders, more than 20 Armenian prisoners remain in Azerbaijani custody, including former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents Arayik Harutyunyan and Bako Sahakyan. Trials have proceeded in secrecy, and reports have surfaced of psychological pressure and mistreatment of detainees. Azerbaijani authorities have rejected those allegations, claiming that all cases are being handled in accordance with the law.
Before entering politics, Vardanyan was one of Russia’s most prominent Armenian figures, co-founding the investment firm Troika Dialog and funding numerous educational and humanitarian projects in Armenia. His arrest drew international attention not only for his prominence but also for its symbolic weight, as many analysts viewed it as part of Azerbaijan’s broader effort to dismantle the legacy of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian leadership.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
