Azerbaijan court sentences Vardanyan to 20 years![]() February 17, 2026 - 13:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A military court in Baku has sentenced businessman and philanthropist, former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, to 20 years in prison. The Baku Military Court imposed a 20-year prison term on Ruben Vardanyan, a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist who served as State Minister of Artsakh and is facing what his supporters describe as fabricated charges. At the February 10 hearing, the court announced the conclusion of the trial, after which the panel of judges retired to the deliberation room to deliver a verdict, Haqqin.az reports. Vardanyan was charged with “crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, and financing terrorism,” although he has never participated in military operations and was not present in Artsakh during the war. The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, have arrived in Washington. The CSTO budget for the current year requires adjustments due to the refusal of Yerevan to pay their share of contributions. Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Partner news |