«This verdict was not the product of an independent and impartial judicial process»:

On February 17, the military court in Baku sentenced Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years of imprisonment. This verdict was not the product of an independent and impartial judicial process. It was the foreseeable outcome of proceedings driven by political considerations and fundamentally incompatible with the standards of a fair trial.

As his legal representatives, we state unequivocally that this conviction is legally unsustainable.

From the outset, the proceedings were marred by serious and systemic violations of both Azerbaijan’s domestic law and its binding international obligations. The tribunal failed to meet the requirements of independence and impartiality guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. The presumption of innocence was compromised by the framing and substance of the charges.

The defense was denied meaningful access to the case file, afforded grossly inadequate time to examine extensive materials, and repeatedly obstructed in submitting motions and presenting exculpatory evidence. Mr. Vardanyan was not granted full and independent access to legal counsel of his own choosing. These violations were not procedural irregularities; they directly deprived him of his fundamental right to prepare and present an effective defense.

The adversarial character of the proceedings was effectively dismantled. Mr. Vardanyan was not provided a genuine opportunity to contest the charges before a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal. In such circumstances, the integrity of the verdict cannot be maintained.

The nature of the charges further underscores the political character of the prosecution. Mr. Vardanyan has been held criminally liable not on the basis of individualized conduct established beyond reasonable doubt, but for political engagement and public service associated with Artsakh / Nagorno Kharabakh institutions. Contemporary criminal law, whether domestic or international, does not permit the criminalization of identity, political affiliation, or participation in governance structures absent specific and proven criminal acts.

The cumulative effect of these violations leads to one unavoidable conclusion: Ruben Vardanyan was denied a fair trial in any meaningful sense of that term. His conviction reflects a broader pattern affecting ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and raises profound concerns for the rule of law. Therefore, this trial, like the recently concluded trial against the other fifteen Armenians, is unlawful.

We call upon international organizations, human rights mechanisms, and responsible governments to take immediate and concrete steps to protect the rights of Mr. Vardanyan and the other Armenians unlawfully convicted and held in Baku, and to secure their release. The normalization of politically motivated prosecutions threatens not only the individuals concerned but the credibility of the international legal order itself.