Ruben Vardanyan's Azerbaijan Trial Concludes

The court proceedings in the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen, concluded on February 10 in Azerbaijan. Vardanyan faces multiple severe charges under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, including war crimes, terrorism, illegal entrepreneurship, and violations of international humanitarian law. The prosecution has requested a life sentence. During the hearing at the Azerbaijan===Baku Military Court, presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev, the defense, including Vardanyan himself and his lawyer Emil Babishov, presented their final arguments. Both the prosecution and defense declined to submit a draft of the final court decision. The court has concluded its judicial examination, and the final verdict will be announced at a later hearing. The preliminary investigation was conducted by the Azerbaijan===State Security Service (Azerbaijan).