Russian-Armenian billionaire and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who is currently on trial in Azerbaijan, has submitted several motions to the Baku Military Court, seeking the questioning of high-profile figures, including Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
According to reports, Vardanyan’s first motion asked the court to summon individuals connected to the criminal case against him, among them Pashinyan, former members of the now-dissolved OSCE Minsk Group, and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan.
These motions come amid a supposed criminal case that many view as a sham. The Azerbaijani authorities have charged Vardanyan with offenses including “financing terrorism,” illegal entry, supplying military equipment, and other accusations that critics say are politically motivated and baseless.
Vardanyan’s arrest, detention, and now trial appear designed to punish the philanthropist who has shown solidarity with the Artsakh people, rather than to administer genuine justice. His supporters argue that there is no credible evidence publicly disclosed that justifies the severity of the charges he faces. These proceedings are being condemned internationally as lacking due process.
Vardanyan was appointed Artsakh’s State Minister in November 2022 but served less than four months. Prior to his appointment, he renounced his Russian citizenship and relocated to Artsakh in September 2022.
He was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities on September 27, 2023, while attempting to leave the region alongside the Armenian population, following Azerbaijan’s final military offensive against Artsakh. That assault resulted in the military occupation of the territory, the ethnic cleansing of its people, and the forced displacement of more than 100,000 indigenous Armenians from their ancestral homeland.
As of today, it has been roughly 720 days since that arrest, almost two full years.
