Former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently on trial on trumped charges in a military court in Baku, announced that he has begun a hunger strike at the prison, in which he is currently locked to protest the “staged judicial process” being waged against him.
“Yesterday, I decided to protest by declaring a hunger strike against the judicial farce being carried out against me. This is my response to the blatant violations of Azerbaijani procedural law and international law,” Vardanyan said through his family after a brief phone call on Tuesday.
“What is happening in the courtroom cannot be called a trial – this is a political show, in which my right to a fair hearing is being deliberately disregarded,” Vardanyan added.
Vardanyan, who was captured along with other Artsakh leaders in days following the brutal Azerbaijani attack in September 2023 that led to the forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population, is being tried separately and is facing upward of 45 charges.
His trial began last month. However, his pleas to be allowed to review the charges with his attorney have been continuously denied by the presiding judge in the case.
Vardanyan’s trial is being held behind closed doors, with only the state-run Azerbaijani press disseminating identical information after each court session.
Last week, Vardanyan was charged with allegedly plotting the assassination of high-level Azerbaijani officials, in what the court termed “Operation Nemesis 2.0.”
“For the past month, my local lawyer, Avraam Berman and I have tried to make it clear to the court that it is critical for me that this so-called “trial” be objective rather than a staged performance,” Vardanyan explained.
“Sadly, it has been clear from the beginning that this case is all about persecuting me as an Armenian simply for exercising my rights to freedom of opinion and expression and political participation under international law, which have been aimed at protecting the rights of the Armenian-Christian population of Artsakh,” Vardanyan emphasized.
The former Artsakh State Minister said: “Despite Azerbaijan being a State Party to the European Convention on Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, this process has also been replete with egregious due process abuses:
- I am being tried in an illegal military tribunal and not a civilian court.
- I have not been granted full access to the indictment and so called “evidence” against me – 422 volumes in Azerbaijani, for which I was given only 21 working days to review, which have been classified as “state secrets.”
- The “indictment” presented to me is not an official document, as it lacks the signatures of my accusers. Even the translation of this so-called document contains gross errors, making it impossible for me to understand the charges against me.
- I have been denied my right to defense – my local lawyer, Avraam Berman, has had his access to materials restricted, his documents confiscated, and he has been subjected to psychological pressure. Further, my international legal team has been barred from communicating or visiting me and has not had access to any of the case materials
- I have not been allowed to summon defense witnesses or file complaints regarding the violations committed during the investigation and trial.
- All of the hearings have been secret and closed to the public. Foreign journalists and independent international representatives have been barred from the courtroom.”
“This so-called ‘trial’ is not just against me. It is an attempt to criminalize all Armenians – all those who supported and demonstrated compassion toward Artsakh and its people, all those who showed compassion. This is an attack on an entire nation. I refuse to participate in this farce,” Vardanyan added.
He emphasized the importance of the involvement of international legal and rights organizations, as well as the press.
“This process demands your attention,” Vardanyan said in his appeal to international groups.
“The imitation of justice is an endorsement of lawlessness and injustice. Silence in the face of such violations paves the way for future tragedies, fueling hostility and a new wave of hatred. Only through truth, law, and humanity can peace and justice be ensured in the region,” Vardanyan emphasized.
