Businessman and philanthropist, former Artsakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, who was sentenced in Baku to 20 years in prison on what are described as fabricated charges, has been transferred to the Umbaki prison complex.
The information was confirmed by human rights defender Siranush Sahakyan, who represents the interests of Armenian detainees at the European Court of Human Rights.
She noted that the information was conveyed by Vardanyan’s family following a phone conversation with him, Aysor.am reports.
“In essence, the verdict has entered into legal force, and under Azerbaijani legislation Armenian detainees are now considered not pre-trial detainees under a preventive measure, but convicted prisoners. This also leads to a change in the penitentiary institution,” Sahakyan said.
According to her, a similar approach has been applied in previous cases involving convicted Armenians.
“For example, those captured since 2020 are also currently held at the Umbaki penitentiary institution. Essentially, there has been a transfer from the investigative detention facility of the State Security Service to another institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice,” she said.
Sahakyan stressed that there is no information about the health of Ruben Vardanyan and other detainees, their access to medical care, or basic living conditions, Sputnik Armenia reports.
“I can only say that phone calls with family members are currently maintained, and some information is shared during those private conversations. However, there is no structure that collects and documents information through direct observation, condition assessment, or monitoring, and this creates an information vacuum,” Sahakyan stated.
Earlier, a court in Baku sentenced Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison.
Former President of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan was sentenced to life imprisonment. Life sentences were also handed to former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and his former first deputy David Manukyan, as well as former Foreign Minister David Babayan and National Assembly Speaker David Ishkhanyan.
Former Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayyan were sentenced to 19 years, Garik Martirosyan to 18, David Alaverdyan and Levon Balayan to 16, and Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Vasil Beglaryan to 15 years in prison.
