BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 13. As reported earlier, the court hearing on the criminal case of Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian national charged under the Azerbaijani Criminal Code with torture, mercenary activity, violation of war laws and customs, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other related offenses, continues on February 13, Trend reports.
In the court session, Head of the Department of State Prosecution at the General Prosecutor's Office Nasir Bayramov delineated the precise allegations against defendant Ruben Vardanyan.
Ruben Vardanyan negotiated with representatives of “AKVA”, a company operating in the Russian Federation, to establish a joint venture for the production of guided anti-aircraft missiles and complexes, target detection stations, battery and radio transmitter blocks, and other devices for use against civilian and military facilities in the occupied sovereign territories of Azerbaijan. He also negotiated and gave relevant instructions on the purchase of helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) intended for use by illegal armed groups in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and the construction of a plant to produce them, as well as the purchase and delivery of radio-electronic warfare systems to illegal armed groups.
It should be noted that Ruben Vardanyan is accused of committing acts under Articles 100 (planning and waging a war of aggression), 107 (deportation or forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114 (mercenary activity), 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during an armed conflict), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing terrorism) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
He is also accused of committing acts stipulated under Articles 218 (creation of a criminal association (organization)), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and possession of weapons, their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1 (acts threatening aviation safety), 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279 (creation of armed formations and groups not provided for by law), 318 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan) and other articles of the Criminal Code.