The case of prominent businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, has already been assigned a case number and will be examined by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Siranush Sahakyan, who represents the interests of Armenian captives before the ECHR, said.
She said a review of the verdict against Vardanyan revealed numerous human rights violations and that the entire trial was a “farce,” Aysor.am reports.
“The outcome is not legitimate, and we have presented our legal arguments to the ECHR,” Sahakyan said.
Sahakyan said the verdict was exemplary in the sense that it violated not only legal and moral norms but also the boundaries of human common sense and reason.
“The ‘facts and evidence’ contained there, and the conclusions drawn from them, simply fall outside the bounds of reason,” Sahakyan said.
She said Ruben Vardanyan had faced several dozen charges that had no connection to reality because his involvement in the crimes attributed to him had not been established.
She also said Ruben Vardanyan’s charitable activities had been portrayed as criminal activity.
“The Aurora humanitarian initiative was also classified as criminal activity by the Baku court, while the laureates of the initiative were regarded as members of a criminal organization,” the lawyer said.
Sahakyan also said Armenia has yet to officially respond to a request for assistance in organizing a visit to Baku by a delegation initiated by Ruben Vardanyan’s wife, Veronika Zonabend, Sputnik Armenia reports.
“The issue is under discussion, and we expect Armenia to formulate its position as soon as possible,” Sahakyan said.
The human rights advocate recalled that without state support, it is impossible not only to organize a delegation’s visit to Baku but also to gain access to a closed institution and deliver personal belongings to Armenian captives.
On July 8, Veronika Zonabend addressed an open letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, informing him of her intention to travel to Baku as part of an international women’s humanitarian delegation.
