During a Baku court session in the fabricated case of well‑known businessman and philanthropist and former State Minister of Artsakh Ruben Vardanyan, the court rejected the motions submitted by his lawyer.
The hearing was presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with participation from Anar Rzayev and Jamal Ramazanov (alternate judge — Gyunel Samedova), reports Minval.az .
Vardanyan’s attorney, Emil Babishov, presented two motions:
The first motion asked the court to declare all testimonies given during the pre‑trial investigation as unreliable, including statements by Kamo Hayrateyan, Mushegh Grigoryan, and others, on the grounds that they have no connection to Vardanyan and should therefore not be considered as evidence or taken into account when issuing a verdict.
The second motion argued that during the proceedings, numerous pieces of evidence were examined and dozens of “victims and their legal heirs” were interviewed, as well as testimonies from individuals who, for various reasons, did not participate in the hearings. Babishov asserted that many of these documents and testimonies show harm suffered by many people, but that none of the witnesses have any relevant connection to his client, Vardanyan.
He noted that part of the incidents referred to in the testimonies concern a period when Vardanyan was not an Armenian citizen but worked in his own business in the Russian Federation. For this reason, all the testimonies presented in court were challenged as unrelated to Vardanyan.
Vardanyan supported these motions.
State prosecutor Tarane Mamedova stated that the two motions were essentially identical and could not be granted.
The trial continued with the examination of documents presented by the prosecution.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 16.
In a January 16 message, Ruben Vardanyan stated that since his arrest, he had given no testimony other than his name. He emphasized that all records bearing his signature were forged and affirmed that he, his lawyer, and his interpreter were subjected to pressure.
