Baku, December 18, AZERTAC

The court proceedings in the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, charged under articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan related to crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other grave crimes, continued on December 18.

The open court hearing held at the Baku Military Court, presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samedova), ensured that the accused was provided with an interpreter in the language he knows, namely Russian, as well as a state-appointed lawyer for his defense.

At the beginning of the court session, the accused Ruben Vardanyan stated that he wished to speak with his defense counsel in the courtroom.

The presiding judge granted his motion. After the accused spoke with his defense counsel Emil Babishov, the prosecution delivered its speech.

In his address, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev recalled that the judicial investigation in the criminal case concerning the charges against Vardanyan Ruben Karlenovich had been completed. Over the course of nearly a year, numerous court hearings were held, documents and evidence were examined, and victims and witnesses were questioned. The prosecution believes that, based on the evidence presented, the guilt of the accused in committing numerous criminal acts in the current proceedings has been confirmed.

The prosecution stated that crimes committed both before and after R. Vardanyan joined the criminal organization formed by Armenia in the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan it had occupied would be addressed. V. Aliyev said: “All this is important because when Ruben Vardanyan joined the said criminal organization, he understood the social danger of his actions, knew what crimes had been committed by this criminal organization against the Azerbaijani state and people, and continued the commission of those crimes at subsequent stages.”

It was emphasized that between 1988 and 1994, the Armenian state and the criminal organization it formed occupied the city of Khankendi of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the districts of Kalbajar, Shusha, Lachin, Khojaly, Khojavend, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Gubadli, the village of Kerki in the Sadarak district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the villages of Baghanis Ayrum, Ashaghi Askipara, Kheyrimli, Barkhudarly, Sofulu, Gizilhajili, Yukhari Askipara of the Gazakh district, the district centers and a number of villages of the Aghdam and Fuzuli districts, and several villages of the Tartar district. As a result, these territories were destroyed, burned, looted, and damaged in other ways, private property was harmed, and people were forcibly displaced from their homes.

Continuing his speech, the prosecutor referred to the inspection protocol dated October 26, 2023, regarding the inspection of R. Vardanyan’s office located in the city of Khankendi, as well as to operational information and other documents, stating: “These documents confirm that the accused joined the criminal organization in early December 2020.”

In his speech, the prosecutor defending the state prosecution also addressed R. Vardanyan’s links with Vartanov Vladimir (Vova) Levanovich (Levani), the founder of the terrorist organization known as “VoMa,” which took part in military operations against the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as their communications via the WhatsApp mobile application. It was noted that “VoMa” was established on January 11, 2013, and operated as an organized armed group as a structural unit of a criminal organization in the Republic of Armenia, as well as in territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan that had previously been under occupation.

It was established during operational measures that Vardanyan, who maintained regular contact with Vartanov, discussed within the framework of the “VoMa” terrorist organization the training of fighters and instructors, the organization of training sessions, and thus the commission of terrorist acts and participation in combat operations by remnants of the Armenian army and illegal Armenian armed groups against the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, and that Vardanyan assumed responsibility for financing this terrorist organization and its members.

The prosecutor stated that another charge brought against R. Vardanyan concerns the illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to the indictment, in September 2022, acting in line with the common criminal intent and objectives of the criminal organization, as part of an organized group belonging to the criminal organization, and as a foreign national, he illegally crossed the guarded state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan from the territory of the Republic of Armenia toward the Lachin district, outside official state border checkpoints, entered the territory of Azerbaijan, and settled in the country. The prosecution considers that the commission of this act has also been confirmed by the evidence examined during the judicial investigation. Thus, the protocol dated September 27, 2023, on the inspection of items found on Ruben Vardanyan at the time of his detention shows that among other items and documents in his black bag, an Armenian Republic foreign passport No. “AU319012” belonging to the accused and his driver’s license were discovered and examined.

In addition, during the ongoing inspection it was established that after illegally arriving in the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan in early September 2022, Vardanyan left the country several times to travel to various countries and later illegally returned again to the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The document did not reveal any record, stamp, or other indication confirming his lawful entry into the Republic of Azerbaijan.

It was also stated that after Vardanyan arrived in Khankendi, mine-laying operations began within the boundaries of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation during the Patriotic War as a result of his financing. Those mines were transported from Armenia to the formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan via the Lachin road. Armenians living in Khankendi reported that mine-laying activities significantly expanded after R. Vardanyan’s arrival.

Furthermore, as a result of Vardanyan’s financing, military depots were established around Khankendi. These depots were operated by servicemen he hired from Armenia and by fighters selected from Karabakh. A large number of weapons and ammunition brought by R. Vardanyan, as well as quadcopter drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles, were placed in the depots.

It was noted that another charge announced against R. Vardanyan and confirmed by the evidence examined at the court hearing concerned his initiative to launch the “Nemesis-2” terrorist operation.

In addition, it became known that in September 2023, in line with the common criminal intent and objectives of the criminal organization, and with the support and supervision of Armenia’s political and military leadership, R. Vardanyan engaged in activities aimed at acquiring “Malloy” unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) manufactured in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a payload capacity of 180 kg and an operating range of 70 km, for the purpose of equipping armed units belonging to the said criminal organization that were operating illegally and in violation of international law in the formerly occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Continuing his speech, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev voiced the proposals of the prosecutors defending the state prosecution regarding the punishment to be imposed for each criminal act with which the accused is charged.

During his address, Aliyev also proposed to the court the removal of certain clauses from the charges brought against the accused and, in comparison with some of the charges, the reclassification of the accused’s actions under provisions of criminal law providing for a lighter liability.

It was proposed that Vardanyan Ruben Karlenovich be sentenced to life imprisonment by absorbing the lesser punishment into the more severe one for the crimes stipulated by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including planning, preparing, initiating and waging an aggressive war; attacking persons enjoying international protection; forcible transfer of population; persecution; enforced disappearance of persons; unlawful deprivation of liberty in violation of international law; torture; mercenarism; violations of the laws and customs of war; violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflict; intentional homicide; illegal entrepreneurship; terrorism; financing of terrorism; creation of a criminal organization; illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and carrying of weapons, their components, ammunition, explosive substances and devices; acts posing a threat to aviation security; violent seizure and retention of power; violent change of the constitutional order of the state; creation of armed formations and groups not provided for by legislation; and illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The sentence is to be served in prison.

The start of the term of punishment is to be calculated from the time of his detention, September 27, 2023. The preventive measure of arrest chosen in respect of him is to remain unchanged until the verdict enters into legal force.

The next court hearing has been scheduled for December 26.