Baku, February 10, AZERTAC

A preparatory session of the trial against Ruben Vardanyan, a citizen of Armenia accused of torture, mercenary, violating the laws or customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, continued on Monday.

The trial is held at the Baku Military Court within the Baku Court Complex, presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev, with Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova) also on the panel. The defendant was provided with a Russian language interpreter and defense attorneys.

The court hearing was attended by the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, prosecutors supporting the state prosecution, as well as the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers' Office, Rufat Mammadov, representing the government of Azerbaijan.

Ruben Vardanyan's defense attorney, lawyer Avraam Berman, requested that conditions be provided for a confidential meeting with his client. The judge granted this request and ensured that the defendant was allowed a confidential meeting with his lawyer.

A break was announced in the court session regarding this matter.

The presiding judge announced that new interpreters had been involved in the trial. The prosecution and defense did not object to the participation of the newly involved interpreters in the trial.

Then, citing the non-satisfaction of the motions filed by Ruben Vardanyan, the panel of judges hearing the case objected to the composition of the court. The defendant's lawyers defended the objection.

Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev noted that the criminal procedural legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan defines specific cases of objection to a judge and this objection must be substantiated.

At the same time, according to the legislation, an objection can be raised if there is concrete and credible evidence confirming the judge's interest in the criminal prosecution. The prosecutor said that since the defense has not presented concrete evidence at this stage of the proceedings that the judicial panel is interested in the criminal prosecution, the objection should be left unconsidered.

As the representative of the victim, Head of the Cabinet of Ministers' Office, Rufat Mammadov, and other victims participating in the trial also requested that the court disregard the objection.

Then, the court went into deliberation to consider the objection. The conclusion made following the discussion was that the objection was left unconsidered.

Vardanyan's defense attorney again requested that conditions be provided for a confidential meeting with his client. The judge granted this request and ensured that the defendant was allowed a confidential meeting with his lawyer.

A break was announced in the court session regarding this matter.

After the break, the prosecutor, defending the state accusation, continued reading out the concluding part of the indictment.

The prosecutors announced the criminal acts related to the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a result of aggressive war launched by the criminal organization created with the direct involvement, instructions, and guidance of the Armenian state and its armed forces, as well as with material, technical, and personnel support, centralized command, and strict control, under the leadership of Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serj Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikhail Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitaly Mikael Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Musheki Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Karamyan, Monte Charles Melkonian, and others with their direct and indirect involvement, with the goal of military aggression against Azerbaijan on its territory.

Then state prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev emphasized that according to the indictment, as a result of the aggressive war waged by the Armenian armed forces and illegal armed formations, the city of Khankendi, the entire part of Kalbajar, Shusha, Lachin, Khojaly, Khojavend, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Gubadly districts, the village of Karki in the Sadarak district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, 7 villages in the Gazakh district - Baghanis-Ayrim, Ashagi Eskipara, Kheyrimli, Barkhudarly, Sofulu, Gizilhajily, Yukhari Eskipara, the centers and a number of villages of the Aghdam and Fuzuli districts, as well as a number of villages of the Tartar district of the Republic of Azerbaijan were occupied and set on fire, shelled and blown up with artillery, partially or completely destroyed through other physical means, as well as subjected to the acts of theft, looting, and vandalism.

As a result of the occupation, 12 cities, 18 settlements, 895 villages, and a total of 925 settlements, which are sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, were occupied and remained under occupation for many years. This led to material damage totalling 20 billion manats, including over 19 billion manats worth of material damage cross 37,168 private and public properties, and over 906 million manats worth of material damage to historical and cultural monuments, mosques, churches, museums, historical buildings and castles.

State Prosecutor Tarana Mammadova continued reading out the concluding part of the indictment, listing the facts of the forced disappearance of civilians and the facts regarding the prisoners and missing persons as a result of the occupation. Nasir Bayramov, Head of the Department for the maintenance of public prosecution of the Prosecutor General’s Office, listed the facts of the use of mercenaries. He then listed the facts of severe economic and ecological damage to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Given the large volume of the indictment, it was announced that the continuation of the reading of the indictment would take place in the next session.

The next court session is scheduled for February 13.

Ruben Vardanyan is accused of committing the following crimes under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning and waging an aggressive war), Article 107 (deportation or forcible transfer of population), Article 109 (persecution), Article 112 (deprivation of liberty in violation of international law), Article 113 (torture), Article 114 (mercenarism), Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war), Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), Article 214 (terrorism), Article 214-1 (financing of terrorism).

Additionally, he is charged with committing the following crimes under the same code: Article 218 (establishment of a criminal organization), Article 228 (Illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation and carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies, explosives), Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security), Article 278 (violent seizure of power or violent deduction of power, violent change of the constitutional system of the state), Article 279 (Creation of armed formations or groups, which are not provided by the legislation), Article 318 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan), and other related offenses.