Anna Melikyan, a legal expert at the NGO Protection of Rights Without Borders, said during a discussion on Thursday, December 26, that the military and political leadership of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is being accused in Baku of incidents dating back to 1987.

The discussion was called “Political trials in Baku: What awaits Ruben Vardanyan and the former leaders of Artsakh.”

Melikyan stated that the leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh face around 1,500 charges, with the criminal cases now moved to court. The court is expected to schedule a preliminary hearing and begin proceedings within 15 to 30 days.

"Interviews with repatriated prisoners of war and civilians reveal that the free lawyers and public defenders provided by the Azerbaijani authorities offer no real support or effective protection. When meetings do take place, they are merely formalities," Melikyan noted.

As reported in mid-December, Azerbaijani prosecutors have unveiled a new and enormous array of some 45 potential charges against former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan who has been detained for a few months now, according to his legal team. If convicted, Vardanyan faces the grim prospect of life imprisonment, his legal team said in a statement published by PRNewswire.