Quick Read
- Ruben Vardanyan declines to challenge a 20-year prison sentence issued by a Baku military court
- His family says the decision does not signify acceptance of the verdict
- The ruling is described as politically motivated and part of unlawful persecution
- Closed hearings and procedural violations are cited as key concerns
- Vardanyan plans to pursue international legal remedies instead of filing an appeal
Ruben Vardanyan, former State Minister of Artsakh, has decided not to appeal the 20-year prison sentence handed down by a military court in Baku. According to a statement released by his family, the decision should not be interpreted as agreement with the court’s ruling, but rather as a deliberate refusal to legitimize a process they describe as fundamentally unjust.
The family maintains that the proceedings were marked by serious procedural concerns. They report that court hearings were held behind closed doors, independent observers were not permitted to attend, and defense motions were allegedly disregarded. In addition, they state that the official text of the verdict was not properly provided to the family in translation, which they characterize as another violation of due process.
Vardanyan does not recognize the verdict as a lawful judicial act. He has characterized the case as politically motivated and part of what he calls unlawful persecution, arguing that the proceedings lacked the essential elements of impartial justice. According to the family’s statement, the ruling represents a broader denial of fair judicial standards.
The statement further explains that appeals are meaningful only in systems where judicial errors at the first-instance level can realistically be corrected. In circumstances where alleged violations are systemic in nature, they argue, filing an appeal risks legitimizing what they consider an unlawful prosecution. For this reason, Vardanyan has chosen not to participate in what his family describes as an “imitation” of judicial process.
Instead of pursuing domestic appellate procedures, Vardanyan intends to seek recourse through international legal mechanisms. The case continues to draw public attention and remains the subject of ongoing reporting and debate.
His decision to forgo an appeal is presented as a principled legal stance consistent with his position that the proceedings lack legitimacy and constitute political persecution.