BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 14. The UN Human Rights Office's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has officially issued its final opinion on the petition regarding Ruben Vardanyan, following an extended review of the case, Trend reports.
The petition submitted to the UN Human Rights Office addressed claims that Vardanyan, detained by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, was allegedly arrested for expressing certain views, violating his right to freedom of expression, his rights related to the presumption of innocence during the pre-trial period, his right to be released on bail or have alternative measures instead of detention, and the failure to provide sufficient time and resources for his defense. After a thorough review, the final decision was made that none of these claims were substantiated.
In its opinion, the Working Group said that the charges brought against Vardanyan, who is accused under Articles 214-1 (financing terrorism), 279.3 (participating in the creation of illegal armed groups), and 318.1 (illegally crossing the state border) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, were based on concrete evidence, the decision to detain him was made following a judicial review of the case, that a translator was appointed for him during the investigation, and that his rights to defense and other procedural rights were ensured.
Moreover, the court, when choosing detention for Vardanyan, applied an individual approach and investigation, taking into account the severity and nature of the alleged crimes, as well as the factual circumstances of the case.
Regarding claims in the media and public statements by officials that Vardanyan's presumption of innocence was violated, the Working Group concluded that no violation of this right occurred. The official statement by the State Security Service on September 27, 2023, mentioned that there were "reasonable suspicions" of Vardanyan's involvement in crimes as defined under the relevant articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, but did not contain any statements of guilt before the court's verdict, thus confirming that the presumption of innocence was not violated.
Among the individuals currently undergoing trial in the Baku Military Court for crimes related to terrorism, crimes against peace and humanity, and other criminal acts in the formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Vardanyan is the only one whose case has been brought before the UN Human Rights Office due to his external connections and resources.
However, such organized efforts are considered ineffective in the face of established legal practices based on precise legal technologies and international legal diplomacy in Azerbaijan, and criminal liability remains inevitable.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel