The trial of Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, accused of terrorism and other serious crimes, continued at the Baku Military Court on February 10. According to Operative Information Center-OMM, the session, presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev, heard the final statements from the victims and the defendant as the judicial process reached its concluding stage.
During the proceedings, Rufat Mammadov, Head of the Apparatus of the Cabinet of Ministers, representing the state of Azerbaijan, expressed full agreement with the facts and evidence presented in the indictment. Legal heirs of the victims, including Azad Karimov, Oqtay Shikhaliyev, Gadim Agakhanov, Faiq Rustamov, and Shiraslan Hasanov, also addressed the court, demanding that the defendant be sentenced to life imprisonment, the maximum penalty under the law.
A notable moment occurred when Ruben Vardanyan requested a private consultation with his lawyer, Emil Babishov. Following a brief recess, the defendant stated he did not wish for his lawyer to deliver a defense speech. Although Babishov noted his disagreement with the charges, he respected his client's position and refrained from a formal defense. In his final words, Vardanyan avoided addressing specific charges, instead reciting verses by classical Azerbaijani poets Mahammad Fuzuli and Huseyn Javid in Russian. Judge Zeynal Agayev officially declared the court investigation closed, with a final verdict expected following the judges' deliberation.
Ruben Vardanyan faces a comprehensive list of charges under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including planning an aggressive war (Articles 100.1, 100.2), deportation of the population (107), torture (113), and mercenarism (114.1). The indictment further includes counts of terrorism and its financing (214, 214-1), creation of criminal organizations (218), illegal possession of weapons (228.3), and illegal crossing of the state border (318.2). These charges stem from his activities during his presence in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan prior to the full restoration of the country's sovereignty.
