Several individuals featured in the Azerbaijani documentary about Russian‑Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan told OC Media they were unaware the film was being made for Azerbaijani state media. The documentary “The Oligarch’s Design” premiered in Baku on December 20 with numerous state officials present and aired on state‑funded AnewZ television at the end of December. It presents a highly negative portrayal of Vardanyan and includes interviews with foreign experts, investigative journalists, and Armenian civic figures.
OC Media’s investigation suggests that many interviewees and subcontractors working on the film may have been misled about the nature of the project and for whom it was being produced. None of those OC Media spoke to knew it was intended for Azerbaijani state media.
At the time of broadcast, the documentary did not include any copyright list. Internal production materials and crew lists obtained by OC Media show that a team of Turkish media professionals with close ties to Azerbaijan were central to the production.
All non‑Armenian experts and subcontractors interviewed by OC Media said they were told the documentary would focus on the “Troika Laundromat,” a major investigation into corruption in Russian banking networks that allegedly involved Vardanyan.
Despite the finished product, documents sent to those in expert roles that OC Media reviewed did not mention the Nagorno‑Karabakh conflict or note any involvement by Azerbaijani state media. Instead they were told the production company was TPTM Media Spain. Several interviewees said they were led to believe talks were underway with major international streaming services to broadcast the film.
One interviewee was Vitalijus Gailius, a member of the Lithuanian parliament’s anti‑corruption committee, who was interviewed in summer 2025. “Since my participation was based solely on legal and anti‑corruption assessment, not on political or national interests, I think the creators should ensure the film is objective, accurate and fact‑based,” Gailius told OC Media. “Content should meet legal and ethical standards, avoiding any misleading or distorted legal interpretations.”
Another person told OC Media that his interview was conducted in 2019 for a different context and production. He said he never agreed for the material to be used in an Azerbaijani production.
Samvel Babayan, a former Nagorno‑Karabakh official featured in the documentary, posted a version of events, saying his interview was conducted by Marques from TPTM Media, and that the project was presented to him as a study of Armenia at a historical crossroads with deep cultural roots and global aspirations, without mention of Vardanyan’s case. Other Armenians who spoke to OC Media said their interviews were conducted in September 2025.
The Spanish production company TPTM Media, along with Carmen Marques, listed in public sources as the company’s director, appears to have left the project at the end of October 2025, about two months before the AnewZ premiere.
A concept document used for internal planning from summer 2025 — months before interviews in Armenia — accurately reflects the structure of the final product, including most interviewees and presentation of facts, though some details differ. The concept was distributed by the Turkish media team and TPTM Media.
While the concept’s opening section focused on the “Troika Laundromat,” much of the description centers on the Nagorno‑Karabakh conflict from the perspective of the Azerbaijani government, concluding that Vardanyan’s prosecution complies with international legal standards.
Several sources were taken from EU Reporter, accused of operating as a paid publication and repeatedly providing positive coverage related to Azerbaijan. One notable change in the project concerned the title: the version shown at the “Babayan 2025” presentation differed from both the concept and the final result. Marques declined to comment.
After OC Media published its findings, Aidan White, chair of the UK‑based Ethical Journalism Network, questioned the ethical aspects of the production.
Critics suggest AnewZ is trying to create an English‑language international platform similar to RT (formerly Russia Today).
A few days before this investigation was released, AnewZ aired another documentary focusing on Armenia’s alleged role in evading Russian sanctions. OC Media confirmed that some of the same media teams involved in “The Oligarch’s Design” also worked on that documentary, and as with this film, OC Media found that some foreign experts quoted were unaware it was made for AnewZ.
