BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28. The court proceedings in the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, charged under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan with crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other serious offenses, continued on October 28.
The open court session, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with a panel consisting of Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that the accused was provided with an interpreter in his native language, Russian, as well as defense lawyers of his choice.
Presiding Judge Zeynal Aghayev noted that during the previous hearing, defendant Ruben Vardanyan submitted a petition to the court stating that he was dissatisfied with the court proceedings in general and was therefore waiving his defense attorney. Vardanyan also indicated that he did not have a contract with another lawyer and had no objections to a defense attorney being appointed by the state. Consequently, the court accepted Vardanyan’s waiver of his defense attorney, Avraam Berman, and forwarded a decision to the Bar Association of the Republic of Azerbaijan to appoint a state-funded lawyer.
Pursuant to this decision, Emil Babishov, a member of the Bar Association of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was appointed as the new defense attorney to represent the defendant during the hearings.
Vardanyan did not object to the appointment of his new lawyer, and other participants in the trial also raised no objections. Judge Zeynal Aghayev introduced the newly appointed lawyer Emil Babishov to the composition of the court, to which the defense attorney expressed no objections.
The presiding judge stated that the lawyer would be granted additional time to review the case materials and that conditions would be provided for a confidential meeting with the client.
The court proceedings were adjourned. The next hearing is scheduled for November 4.
Ruben Vardanyan faces multiple charges under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including Articles 100.1, 100.2 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression), 107 (deportation and forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible disappearance of persons), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114.1 (mercenary activity), 115.2 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116.0.1, 116.0.2, 116.0.10, 116.0.11, 116.0.16, 116.0.18 (violation of international humanitarian law norms during an armed conflict), 120.2.1, 120.2.3, 120.2.4, 120.2.7, 120.2.11, 120.2.12 (intentional murder), 29.120.2.1, 29.120.2.3, 29.120.2.4, 29.120.2.7, 29.120.2.11, 29.120.2.12 (attempted intentional murder), 192.3.1 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214.2.1, 214.2.3, 214.2.4 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218.1, 218.2 (creation of a criminal group), 228.3 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and devices), 270-1.2, 270-1.4 (acts threatening aviation safety), 278.1 (forcible seizure or retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279.1, 279.2, 279.3 (creation of armed formations not provided for by law), and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan).
Trend notes that the preliminary investigation into the case, which involves charges of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, and terrorism financing, was conducted by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan.
