Denouncing “politically motivated unlawful prosecution,” Ruben Vardanyan refuses to appeal prison sentence in Azerbaijan

Ruben Vardanyan, the former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister and philanthropist, has decided not to file an appeal against the 20-year prison sentence handed down by an Azerbaijani military court, widely seen as a wrongful conviction following a sham trial. The announcement was made by his family in a statement posted on social media.

Vardanyan said that filing an appeal would imply recognition that the trial met at least minimal standards of law, whereas it was, in fact, a "staged performance."

“One cannot defend one's rights within a system that fundamentally denies the right to a fair trial,” the statement reads.

Vardanyan does not recognize the verdict as an act of justice and considers it part of a "politically motivated and unlawful prosecution."

Below is the full statement:

"Following the announcement of the sentence against Ruben Vardanyan, we hereby state his position regarding further legal action.

Ruben has decided not to file an appeal.

This decision does not signify agreement with the verdict and does not constitute a waiver of his right to defense. It is a conscious refusal to legitimize a process that, from the outset, bore none of the hallmarks of justice.

Throughout the hearings, what unfolded was not a genuine judicial proceeding but a staged performance. The sessions were held behind closed doors, independent observers were excluded, and motions submitted by the defense were ignored.

The full text of the verdict was not read out in court. As of the publication of this statement, the family has not been provided with an official written copy of the judgment with a proper translation - a further serious violation of procedural rights, making it impossible to understand even the formal grounds for the 20-year sentence.

An appeal has meaning only where there exists a genuine possibility of correcting errors made by the court of first instance. When violations are systemic and affect the fundamental principles of justice, an appeal becomes yet another instrument for legitimizing unlawful prosecution.

Filing an appeal under these circumstances would imply recognition that the trial met at least minimal standards of law. This is far from the case.

Ruben consciously refuses to participate in the imitation of a legal process. He does not recognize the verdict as an act of justice and considers it part of a politically motivated and unlawful prosecution - nothing other than a denial of justice.

The refusal to appeal is not the end of the struggle - it is a refusal to take part in a farce.

We will continue to pursue justice through international legal mechanisms and other international institutions.

One cannot defend one's rights within a system that fundamentally denies the right to a fair trial."

Earlier in February, an Azerbaijani military court sentenced former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison on war crimes and terror-related charges, which he had denounced as a “farce” and which are widely seen as part of a sham trial. Vardanyan’s legal team rejected the ruling, calling it unfounded and illegal.

An Azerbaijani military court had earlier sentenced several former top political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh to life imprisonment on war crime–related charges that are widely regarded as fabricated.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy Davit Manukyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, and former Speaker of Parliament Davit Ishkanyan were all sentenced to life imprisonment.

Former Presidents Bako Sahakyan and Arkady Ghukasyan received 20-year prison terms because, being over the age of 65, Azerbaijani law prohibits life imprisonment for individuals of that age.

Vardanyan’s trial was conducted separately. The Armenian prisoners are among the 19 still held in Azerbaijan after the mass exodus of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population to Armenia in September 2023 during the Azerbaijani offensive. 

Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Marie Struthers described the conviction of Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenians in Azerbaijan as a “travesty.”