Ex-Russian Billionaire Gets Long Prison Term in Azerbaijan
Vardanyan was found guilty of multiple offenses tied to his role as a state minister in the now-defunct Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The charges include waging an aggressive war, terrorism, violent seizure of power, violations of the rules of war, weapons smuggling, use of torture, and endangering aviation safety.
Nagorno-Karabakh has long been contested between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Following a 2023 conflict, Baku regained control of the region, leading to the departure of its remaining ethnic Armenian population and the dissolution of the local administration.
Vardanyan was detained by Azerbaijani security forces in September 2023 while attempting to leave the republic. The Armenian-born businessman had renounced his Russian citizenship after moving to Nagorno-Karabakh and joining its government in 2022.
In a family statement, Vardanyan’s relatives described the sentence as “horrific, but expected,” noting that the hearings were conducted behind closed doors, which they said is “incompatible with fair trial standards, not only under international law, but even under Azerbaijani law.”
“Anyone who knows Ruben personally or has interacted with him professionally understands the absurdity and inconsistency of the charges against him,” the statement added.
Earlier, an Azerbaijani state prosecutor had sought a life sentence for Vardanyan.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
