Statement by Human Rights Defender Siranush Sahakyan Regarding Ruben Vardanyan Indictment
As a human rights defender and representative of Ruben Vardanyan's family, as well as a member of his international legal team, I declare that after reviewing part of the indictment (over 200 pages) in Ruben Vardanyan's case, it becomes clear that the charges against him are politically motivated, lack legal basis, and grossly violate international legal norms and the principles of fair trial.
The document highlights several key points:
First, contrary to fundamental legal principles, the indictment effectively treats Ruben Vardanyan's Armenian identity as grounds for criminal liability. The scope of the charges implies that national origin serves solely as the primary evidence of guilt. This undermines the foundation of the modern justice system: the principle of nullum crimen sine lege ("no crime without law") and the requirement of individual criminal responsibility.
Second, the indictment qualifies the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), where approximately 150,000 Armenians lived, as a criminal organization. This contradicts one of the fundamental principles of international law: the right to self-determination of nations. In the indictment, this right is erroneously interpreted as inciting hatred. The document thus retroactively criminalizes a political entity that has been involved in OSCE Minsk Group negotiations for decades. Furthermore, Ruben Vardanyan is held responsible for events that occurred up to 30 years before his arrival in the NKR.
Third, Ruben Vardanyan is accused of illegally crossing the state border of Azerbaijan, which served as the basis for his arrest on September 27, 2023. However, at that time, the Lachin Corridor was under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Moreover, Azerbaijan, by the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, had committed to guaranteeing freedom of movement through the corridor. The International Court of Justice of the UN also confirmed this right: on February 22 and July 6, 2023, it issued binding decisions confirming the necessity of unimpeded movement of people, vehicles, and goods in both directions through the Lachin Corridor. The European Court of Human Rights has also made similar decisions.
Thus, there are no legal grounds for Ruben Vardanyan's arrest. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has consistently been considered a disputed territory by the international community, whereas the indictment treats the subject of international dispute—the legal status of the territory and the applicable border regime—as an established fact. In doing so, the prosecution commits the logical fallacy of petitio principii, using as proof the very assertion that requires legal clarification.
Finally, the indictment portrays the "Aurora" Humanitarian Initiative, co-founded by Ruben Vardanyan and his partners to help vulnerable populations worldwide, as an organization engaged in financing terrorism. This accusation is patently unfounded, given that "Aurora" is internationally recognized as a respected humanitarian initiative that provides assistance to individuals affected by various crises globally. According to this logic, humanitarian aid to refugees and conflict-affected populations is considered a criminal activity.
In summary, the indictment is not only politically motivated but also deeply distorts fundamental legal principles and sets a dangerous precedent.
This is not an isolated case. Seven Armenians currently detained in Baku have already been sentenced to lengthy imprisonment on politically motivated and legally unsubstantiated charges, which is a clear violation of internationally recognized standards of justice and due process. The same fate awaits the remaining sixteen.
Attached is an excerpt from the indictment that clearly demonstrates the absurdity of the charges, their political motivations, and their legal invalidity.