Lawyers for Ruben Vardanyan File Lawsuits in Baku Court
The lawyers of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan have filed lawsuits in the Baku court. They claim that Ruben Vardanyan was subjected to torture in prison and deprived of his right to a speedy trial.
In April 2024, the former State Minister declared a hunger strike in protest against the persecution of him and other political prisoners. The light in his solitary confinement cell was kept on 24/7, leading to insomnia and exhaustion. In addition, he was forced to stand for long periods and deprived of drinking water for more than two days. Moreover, he was not allowed to bathe or change his clothes and was denied any contact with the outside world. Based on these conditions, in June, Vardanyan’s family submitted a complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
In a separate lawsuit, Vardanyan’s lawyers argued that their client’s right to a speedy trial had been violated. The trial has been postponed several times and, according to preliminary data, is scheduled for October.
In another lawsuit, the Russian-language Azerbaijani newspaper “Baku Worker” is accused of defaming Vardanyan. The newspaper published a lengthy article about Ruben Vardanyan allegedly receiving a Nobel Prize, mocking and defaming the State Minister in the process.
The Azerbaijani side illegally detained Ruben Vardanyan on September 27, 2023, in the Lachin Corridor. By order of the Baku court, he was arrested and has been in custody ever since.