Azerbaijan opens trial against Ruben Vardanyan

Azerbaijan has begun the trial of Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire and former so-called Nagorno-Karabakh official, detained in September 2023 after Azerbaijan’s takeover of the region. He denies wrongdoing and claims his interrogation protocols were falsified.

Azerbaijan has commenced the trial of Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire and former prime minister of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic, who was detained in September 2023 while attempting to leave the region following Azerbaijan’s military operation.

Vardanyan, who has spent over a year in detention, claims that the protocols of his interrogations were falsified. His arrest came as over 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan regained full control of the territory.

Previously a prominent Russian businessman, Vardanyan denies past allegations of financial misconduct. His trial is a significant step in Azerbaijan’s legal actions following its takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh.