'Dictatorship can't deliver justice': Former Karabakh officials on trial in Baku
Former Karabakh officials on trial in Baku
Today, Azerbaijan begins trials of former military and political leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR). The case of former state minister Ruben Vardanyan will also be handled by the Baku Military Court but is being processed separately.
Vardanyan and other former Karabakh officials were arrested following Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh. This “anti-terror operation” was launched after a 10-month blockade of over 100,000 Armenians in the region. Following the cessation of hostilities and the opening of the Lachin Corridor, the entire Armenian population left their homeland.
The former leaders face charges of serious crimes, including genocide, terrorism, and organizing the forced displacement of civilians, with potential life sentences. However, the defendants have not been granted full access to the case materials.
“I have not been allowed to familiarize myself with the official indictment. My lawyer and I were only permitted to glance through 422 volumes of case materials in Azerbaijani, a language I do not understand. […] I declare my complete innocence, as well as the innocence of my compatriots, who are also political prisoners. I demand an immediate end to this politically motivated case,” Vardanyan stated in his message.
The full text of his appeal surfaced in the media following a phone conversation with his family, with whom he is periodically allowed to communicate.
Armenian and international experts have little hope for a fair trial. Human rights defender Siranush Sahakyan described the charges as absurd and criticized the lack of international oversight in the proceedings against Armenians.
“The outcome of these trials is predetermined: the defendants have already been convicted, albeit unofficially. The grotesque accusations serve as a smokescreen for the crimes committed by the Azerbaijani regime against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Each gavel strike in the Baku courts symbolizes injustice, and every verdict shames the international community, which allows this to continue,” said former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.
‘Prevent another crime’: Protest in Yerevan
A protest was held outside the UN office in Yerevan, where participants demanded the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and former Karabakh officials held in Baku prisons.
“We must try to prevent another crime. The situation is alarming. What is called justice in Azerbaijan is a disgraceful phenomenon. We are witnessing yet another staged show,” said protest participant Zhanna Galstyan.
Vardanyan: ‘I have no testimony; all records are fabrications’
In a message to the international community shared during a conversation with his family ahead of the trial, Ruben Vardanyan stated that since his detention on September 27, 2023, he has not provided any testimony except during the initial interrogation when he gave his name and surname:
“All the records bearing my signature are fabrications. These documents do not exist in reality. My lawyer and interpreter were coerced into signing these documents.”
He revealed that he has spent 470 days in pre-trial detention under Azerbaijan’s State Security Service, including 340 days in solitary confinement and 23 days in a punishment cell:
“I was told that I face 42 charges, some of which carry sentences of up to life imprisonment. However, I have yet to be granted access to the official indictment. […] I received a list of charges against me in Russian only on January 8, 2025.”
My lawyer, interpreter, and I have been pressured to backdate signatures on documents, including falsified protocols of interrogations that never took place.”
Azerbaijan has accused eight former officials of grave crimes, including former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan; Speaker of the National Assembly Davit Ishkhanyan; former state minister Ruben Vardanyan; former commander of the Defence Army Levon Mnatsakanyan; former deputy commander Davit Manukyan; and former foreign minister Davit Babayan.
What Vardanyan demands and requests
In his statement, Vardanyan asserts his innocence, as well as that of other Karabakh officials:
“The upcoming trial is politically motivated. The prosecutor will likely disregard my statements and proceed with the case against us. If this happens, I demand and ask for your support to ensure my requests are met:
- Grant my lawyer and me sufficient time and resources to prepare an adequate defense. Specifically, allow us to thoroughly review the case materials in Russian.
- Address all procedural violations and falsifications. In particular, invalidate all falsified documents and protocols of interrogations that never occurred, as I have given no testimony since my arrest.
- Make the trial against me and all other accused public. I insist on a fully transparent process with the participation of international journalists and representatives of humanitarian organizations.
- Consolidate my case with those of the other accused. Over 400 of the 422 volumes of my case are episodes from the larger case, and only six are directly related to the false accusations against me. Separating my case into a standalone proceeding is an artificial and baseless decision.”
“Show trials to conceal their crimes“
Former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo accused Azerbaijan’s president of employing “Stalinist tactics” with the ongoing show trials:
“Just as Stalin’s purges in the 1930s relied on forced confessions and sham trials to kill his rivals and strengthen his totalitarian grip on power, Aliyev is using judicial theatre to mask his crimes. Stalin’s infamous show trials targeted his closest allies—old Bolsheviks, military generals, and secret police operatives.“
According to Ocampo, not only Armenians but also hundreds of Azerbaijani dissidents stand no chance of receiving a fair trial under Aliyev’s regime. He argues that a dictatorship cannot deliver justice::
“Independent reports from the European Court of Human Rights, the US State Department, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House all agree -Azerbaijan lacks an independent judiciary.”
Commenting on the trials of former Karabakh officials and the likelihood of fair verdicts, Ocampo emphasized:
“The international community must act. These Stalin-era show trials in modern Azerbaijan are not merely a domestic charade but a calculated attempt to distract from Aliyev’s crimes and tighten his grip on power.”
