Amnesty calls Vardanyan verdict mockery of justice

PanARMENIAN.Net - The verdict handed down in Baku against businessman, philanthropist and former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan is nothing short of a mockery of justice, said Marie Struthers, Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International.

“The convictions of 16 defendants, culminating in the verdict against Ruben Vardanyan, are nothing but a mockery of justice. The fact that Ruben Vardanyan and several other civilians were tried in a military court in itself raises serious concerns and is incompatible with fair trial guarantees,” Struthers was quoted as saying by the organization, Armenpress reports.

Struthers stated that victims of decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in both Armenia and Azerbaijan deserve truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-repetition.

“These convictions are an insult to all victims of crimes under international law,” she said.

The Amnesty International official added that Vardanyan and the other defendants were tried in effectively closed hearings, that the cases were based on fabricated evidence, and that proceedings were conducted in a language not understood by Armenians and were not properly translated.

It was also noted that Amnesty International had requested information from the Azerbaijani authorities about the trial and the evidence but had received no response.

“Azerbaijan must fulfill its obligations under international human rights law and ensure that all individuals accused of crimes are tried in full compliance with international law and fair trial standards,” the organization said in its statement.

On February 17, a court in Baku announced its verdict in what is described as a fabricated criminal case against former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, sentencing him to 20 years in prison.

Earlier, the court also delivered verdicts against former representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh’s military-political leadership. Former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former Deputy Defense Army Commander Davit Manukyan and former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan were sentenced to life imprisonment. Former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years in prison, as they had reached the age of 65 at the time of sentencing, and Azerbaijani law prohibits life imprisonment for those aged 65 or older.

Following the trial, the Baku court also sentenced Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayyan to 19 years in prison, Davit Alаverdyan to 16 years, Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan and Vasily Beglaryan to 15 years each, and Garik Martirosyan to 18 years.