Ruben Vardanyan's lawyers file lawsuits against Azerbaijan for torture and defamation

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS. Lawyers for former State Minister of Nagorno Karabakh  Ruben Vardanyan, who is now detained in Azerbaijan, on Thursday filed legal actions in Baku claiming he had been tortured and denied the right to a speedy trial, reported Reuters.

Azerbaijani officials declined to comment on the lawsuits.

In a statement, Vardanyan's lawyers said one of the cases related to treatment that constituted torture during a hunger strike he mounted in April 2024.

They said that in response Vardanyan was placed in a punishment cell, forced to stand, forbidden to bathe, and deprived of water for two days.

In another action, Vardanyan's lawyers said that his right to a speedy trial had been violated by his detention since last year. A separate lawsuit accuses a Russian-language Azerbaijani newspaper, the Baku Worker, of defaming Vardanyan.

Azerbaijan's law enforcement agencies falsely accused Ruben Vardanyan of "financing terrorism, participating in the creation and activities of illegal armed formations or groups, and illegally crossing the border of Azerbaijan." Vardanyan was illegally arrested and abducted from the Lachin Corridor on September 27, 2023, after which he was detained by a Baku court and has remained in custody.