Court continues trial of Ruben Vardanyan over war crimes and terrorism charges

The Baku Court Complex has commenced hearings in the high-profile criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, who is accused of committing serious offenses including violations of the laws and customs of war, acts of terrorism, and financing terrorism.

The trial is being overseen by Judge Zeynal Agayev of the Baku Military Court.

In previous sessions, victims involved in the case provided testimony related to the charges.

Ruben Vardanyan faces a wide array of charges under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. These include Article 100 (planning and waging a war of aggression), Article 107 (deportation or forcible transfer of the population), Article 109 (persecution), Article 112 (unlawful deprivation of liberty), Article 113 (torture), Article 114 (mercenary activity), Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war), Article 116 (violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), Article 214 (terrorism), and Article 214-1 (financing terrorism).

Further charges include Article 218 (creation of a criminal organization), Article 228 (illegal handling of weapons and explosives), Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation safety), Article 278 (forcible seizure of power), Article 279 (creation of illegal armed groups), and Article 318 (illegal border crossing), among others.

The trial is expected to shed further light on the extent of the alleged crimes and Vardanyan’s role in them.