At the Baku Military Court hearing on the case of Ruben Vardanyan, the former head of the unrecognized government in Karabakh, the prosecutor requested a life sentence. The former Russian citizen and billionaire is accused of serious crimes, including terrorism and crimes against humanity.
Ahead of his final statement in court, Vardanyan told his son over the phone that he considers the trial unfair, but does not regret his actions and is ready to answer for them before a higher power. He also reiterated that "Artsakh was, is, and will be."
Ruben Vardanyan was detained by Azerbaijani security forces on September 27, 2023, while attempting to leave Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia. He is being tried for mercenarism, financing terrorism, attempting to seize power, and other criminal charges. He has repeatedly gone on hunger strike in pretrial detention. Besides him, other high-ranking officials of Nagorno-Karabakh are in the dock, many of whom also face life imprisonment.
