Nagorno-Karabakh’s former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who was sentenced to 20 years by an Azerbaijani court earlier in February, has said that he did not intend to appeal his sentence, refusing to ‘participate in the farce’.
Vardanyan was sentenced on 17 February for crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, and financing terror.
His family announced that he does not plan on appealing his sentence on Wednesday, stating that not appealing the ruling ‘does not signify agreement with the verdict and does not constitute a waiver of his right to defence’.
‘It is a conscious refusal to legitimise a process that, from the outset, bore none of the hallmarks of justice’, the statement read.
According to the statement, Vardanyan and his family were not provided with the full text of the verdict and proper translation. They describe it ‘a further serious violation of procedural rights’.
Aytan Farhadova
Respecting Vardanyan’s decision, the family stated that he was also against participating in the ‘imitation of justice’ through an appeal.
‘The refusal to appeal is not the end of the struggle — it is a refusal to take part in a farce’, noted the family, adding that they will continue ‘to pursue justice through international legal mechanisms and other international institutions’.
‘One cannot defend one’s rights within a system that fundamentally denies the right to a fair trial’, concluded Vardanyan’s family.
Vardanyan was captured as he tried to leave Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia following the final Azerbaijani offensive into the region in September 2023 and the subsequent surrender of the authorities in the region.
During the hearings, he filed several appeals at different times asking for the preventive detention measure to be lifted, but none of them were upheld by the court.
On 19 February, Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajizada stated that the sentencing of former Nagorno-Karabakh officials — including Vardanyan — was a result of Azerbaijan’s advancing of a ‘unique military-political resolution model of conflict’ and the beginning of a ‘post-conflict peace agenda’.
Vardanyan was tried separately from the other 15 Armenian detainees, among whom were former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents. The 15 defendants were accused of committing a total of 2,548 crimes, including genocide, slavery, enforced disappearances, torture, financing terrorism, and creating a criminal association.
On 5 February, the Baku Military Court sentenced five of them to life imprisonment, while two former presidents received 20 years in prison due to their age. Seven other defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 19 years.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
