Relatives of convicted former Karabakh state minister, former Russian citizen, and billionaire Ruben Vardanyan reported that he was prevented from completing his appeal to Azerbaijan's Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva. During a telephone conversation with his family on March 13, the call was forcibly terminated, preventing him from delivering his public message.

According to the family, this followed Vardanyan's unsuccessful attempts to contact the ombudsman through various means over a period of ten days. Furthermore, the family emphasizes that Armenian prisoners, including Vardanyan, have still not received the official texts of their sentences, despite the trials concluding approximately a month ago.

Recall that Ruben Vardanyan, previously sentenced to 20 years in prison in Baku, dropped his appeal. His family explained that this decision was due to the trial being "staged," held behind closed doors, and ignoring the defense's motions. Vardanyan himself considers the verdict part of a "politically motivated and unlawful prosecution" and a "denial of justice." The family believes the decision to abandon the appeal is not a renunciation of the fight, but an unwillingness to participate in a "sham of a legal process." The relatives intend to utilize international legal instruments to achieve justice.

Ruben Vardanyan was sentenced to 20 years in prison on February 17 in Baku on charges of waging war against Azerbaijan, financing terrorism, and deporting the population.