The trial of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan continued on February 25 at Baku’s military court. Vardanyan felt unwell during the session due to his ongoing hunger strike.

The judge called for a break for a medical examination, after which the hearing resumed, according to Caliber.az .

At the beginning of the session, Vardanyan and his lawyer filed a motion to recuse the judicial panel, but it was denied.

After the break, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General, Vusal Aliyev, proposed a procedure for reviewing evidence. The defense did not make any proposals.

Vardanyan was invited to give a voluntary testimony, but he refused. The prosecution then asked him questions related to the charges against him.

He did not answer any questions.

The next hearing is scheduled for March 4.

Earlier, Siranush Sahakyan, a lawyer representing Armenian prisoners at the ECHR, shared details from Vardanyan’s trial based on information from his legal representatives. She noted that, in addition to the 422 volumes of fabricated case files in Azerbaijani, Vardanyan's appointed translator failed to provide accurate oral translations, making serious mistakes.

In late December 2024, Vardanyan’s case was transferred to Baku’s military court. He stated that Azerbaijani investigators had falsified interrogation records and demanded an open trial with international journalists and humanitarian organizations.

His case is being examined separately, with approximately 45 new charges under 20 articles of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, carrying a potential life sentence. On January 27, the court denied his request for house arrest.