Vardanyan begins second hunger strike, rails against ‘farce’ of a trial in Azerbaijan

Former Nagorno-Karabakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan has begun another hunger strike in protest against his ongoing trial in Azerbaijan, which he has labeled a ‘farce’ in a message to the international community.

In a statement released through his lawyers on 19 February, Vardanyan wrote that he had begun his hunger strike the day prior as a response to the ‘blatant violations of Azerbaijani procedural law and international law’.

‘What is happening in the courtroom cannot be called a trial — this is a political show, in which my right to a fair hearing is being deliberately disregarded’, Vardanyan wrote.

He was detained by Azerbaijan along with seven other former Nagorno-Karabakh officials in September 2023 as they attempted to cross into Armenia following Azerbaijan’s final assault on the region. He is currently facing accusations of planning a ‘terrorist operation’ against Azerbaijani diplomats, along with ‘some 45 potential charges’ which were unveiled by Azerbaijani prosecutors in December 2024.

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Vardanyan’s lawyers previously announced that he could face life imprisonment.

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Vardanyan continued Wednesday’s hunger strike announcement by criticising his ongoing trial as ‘a staged performance’, noting that ‘it has been clear from the beginning that this case is all about persecuting me as an Armenian simply for exercising my rights to freedom of opinion and expression and political participation under international law’.

He then went on to list six ‘egregious due process abuses’  within the ongoing trial process, including the fact he is being tried in a military tribunal as opposed to a civilian court.

In particular, Vardanyan highlighted that he has yet to be granted full access to the indictment and evidence presented against him, consisting of 422 volumes in Azerbaijani.

According to him, he was only given 21 working days to review the documentation, much of which has been classified as ‘state secrets’. In addition, Vardanyan claims the indictment’s translation contains ‘gross errors’, which has made it impossible for him to understand the charges.

He additionally noted that his lawyer in Azerbaijan had also had his access to materials restricted and his own documents confiscated, while his international legal team has not been given access to any of the case materials and have been barred from communicating with or visiting Vardanyan.

Vardanyan also claimed that he has not been allowed to summon defence witnesses or file complaints regarding any of the violations he says have been committed during the investigation and ongoing trial.

Finally, Vardanyan noted that all of the hearings have been held in secret, with foreign journalists and independent international representatives barred from the courtroom.

In his closing remarks, Vardanyan called on ‘world leaders, international organisations, human rights defenders, and members of the press’ to pay attention to the trial.

‘Silence in the face of such violations paves the way for future tragedies, fueling hostility and a new wave of hatred. Only through truth, law, and humanity can peace and justice be ensured in the region’, he wrote.

Vardanyan previously went on a 20-day hunger strike in April 2024, which, according to a statement released by his family at the time, followed ‘repeated requests by Vardanyan and counsel to provide a fair and transparent trial in a timely manner in line with international legal standards’.

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