BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Court hearings on the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen charged with crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, were continued on April 1, Trend reports.
The open hearings were held at the Baku Military Court and presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev and a panel of judges consisting of Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (reserve judge Gunel Samadova). The accused was provided with an interpreter in the language of his choice, i.e., Russian, as well as lawyers for his defense.
During the hearings, the court questioned the victims of the criminal acts committed by the accused Ruben Vardanyan, who is charged with joining a criminal organization in December 2020, which was created under the leadership and direct participation of Armenian state bodies, officials, military forces, and illegal armed formations, in accordance with their verbal and written instructions, orders, and guidelines, as well as material, technical, and personnel support; central management and strict control; and also of committing numerous criminal acts during the war of aggression waged by the Armenian state against Azerbaijan in violation of domestic and international law.
Before the questioning, Zeynal Agayev explained to the victims their rights and obligations stipulated by the legislation.
In his testimony, one of the victims, the chief of the logistics department of an unspecified military unit of the liberated Kalbajar district of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Sohbat Shukurov, said that despite the fact that his service location was far from the line of contact with the Armenian armed forces, he had received wounds of varying degrees of severity as a result of mortar fire during the military provocation by the Armenian armed forces.
Another victim, the paramedic of the medical department of an unspecified military unit of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Samir Yusifov, said in his testimony that he had received wounds of varying degrees of severity as a result of a mortar shell fired by the Armenian armed forces exploding while he was trying to retrieve the bodies of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan who were martyred when preventing a large-scale Armenian provocation in the Kalbajar district.
The victims questioned during the court investigation, including Samir Karimov, Orkhan Najafov, Aliyar Mammadov, Ali Garazada, Gurban Gurbanov, Huseynbala Sayilli, Rahman Gasimov, Ulvi Musayev, Ruslan Aliyev, Bakhtiyar Salmanov, Ariz Gahramanov, Azer Abdullayev, Tofig Abishov, Asif Mikayilli, Gasim Garibov, Anar Nabiyev, Ehtiram Samadov, Rashmi Humbatov, Jeyhun Rzaguliyev, Yunis Abdiyev, Dilgam Safarov, Ahmad Ahmadzada, and others, said they knew the accused, Ruben Vardanyan, through the media and social networks but did not know him personally.
They stated that they had received bodily injuries of varying degrees of severity as a result of shooting from various weapons, including sniper rifles, and explosions of mortar shells during Armenian military provocations in Kalbajar and Aghdam districts while they were in military service.
After the questioning, the victims answered the questions of the judges and prosecutors in charge of public prosecution about their places of service, specific areas where the military provocations were committed, and the severity and localization of the injuries sustained as a result of the incidents.
Then, the conclusions of the forensic medical examination conducted on the victims were read out.
The next court session is scheduled for April 8.
Ruben Vardanyan is charged with crimes under Articles 100.1, 100.2 (planning, preparing, initiating and waging a war of aggression), 107 (deportation and forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible disappearance of persons), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114.1 (mercenary activity), 115.2 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116.0.1, 116.0.2, 116.0.10, 116.0.11, 116.0.16, 116.0.18 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), 120.2.1, 120.2.3, 120.2.4, 120.2.7, 120.2.11, 120.2.12 (intentional murder), 29,120.2.1, 29,120.2.3, 29,120.2.4, 29,120.2.7, 29,120.2.11, 29,120.2.12 (attempted intentional murder), 192.3.1 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214.2.1, 214.2.3, 214.2.4 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218.1, 218.2 (creation of a criminal group), 228.3 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and possession of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1.2, 270-1.4 (acts threatening aviation safety), 278.1 (forcible seizure or retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279.1, 279.2, 279.3 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan).
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
