The prosecution requested a life sentence for Vardanyan

At a hearing in the Baku Military Court, the prosecutor proposed a life sentence for former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. Vardanyan stated that the trial did not meet the requirements of a fair trial.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," on November 21, at a hearing in the case of former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister  Ruben Vardanyan  , Azerbaijani citizens recognized as victims testified about shelling that occurred on the Armenian side  long before Vardanyan moved  to Karabakh. Specifically, the victims described shelling in the Kelbajar region, which  came under Baku's control  following the 44-day war in 2020, and in the Zangilan region, which was also occupied by Azerbaijan  in 2020. Also at a hearing on December 9, Azerbaijani citizens recognized as victims in the war crimes case testified in court about shelling by Armenian units of Lachin, which came under Baku's control even before the defendant, Ruben Vardanyan, became a Karabakh official.

At today's hearing in the Baku Military Court on the case of Ruben Vardanyan, the prosecutor defending the state prosecution spoke.

In his speech, the prosecutor requested a life sentence for Ruben Vardanyan, the Azertac news agency reported.

At the December 16 hearing, Vardanyan's defense requested that a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the investigator who conducted the inspection of Vardanyan's office and home be allowed to participate in the trial and be questioned as a witness. Both requests were denied, Report reported that same day.

On December 17, in a telephone conversation with his eldest son, Vardanyan stated that he did not recognize what was happening as a legal process, according to a post on Vardanyan's Telegram channel.

"The proceedings taking place in Baku do not meet the basic standards of a fair trial and therefore cannot be considered a trial in the true sense of the word," Vardanyan's Telegram channel quoted him as saying.

According to him, he intends to state this in his final statement.

"I regret nothing. I committed all my actions consciously and voluntarily, fully understanding the potential consequences. I am ready to answer for my actions before God. The only thing I regret is that I could not have done more. I reiterate: Artsakh was, is, and will be – regardless of attempts to rewrite history or impose a different interpretation of events," Vardanyan stated. 

As a reminder, the Baku Military Court has been hearing Vardanyan's case since January 2025. The charges against Vardanyan, including war crimes, terrorism, and terrorist financing, carry a sentence of up to life imprisonment. Since April 1, victims have been testifying at the hearings. The defendant and his lawyer  have filed multiple protests  to the court, but all motions to recuse the judges have been denied.

Vardanyan's case is being heard separately from those of the other Karabakh leaders. A total of 15 former Karabakh officials are on trial in Baku, including former presidents  Arayik Harutyunyan ,  Bako Sahakyan ,  and  Arkady Ghukasyan , as well as former parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan. They are charged under more than 20 articles of the Criminal Code, and the case comprises 2,548 counts.

On October 31, the completion of the trial of the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh was announced.  The prosecution requested  life sentences for Arayik Harutyunyan, David Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and David Manukyan, and 20 years or more for the others. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report titled " Vardanyan and 15 Karabakh Leaders: Key Points on the Baku Courts ."