Protesters gathered outside the UN Armenia office on January 17, calling for urgent international intervention to secure the release of Armenian prisoners detained in Azerbaijan. The demonstration, which included former Nagorno-Karabakh officials and representatives of various organizations, coincided with the looming start of the Azerbaijani trials of Armenian detainees.

Participants submitted a petition to the UN office, urging practical steps to secure the release of Armenian prisoners, preserve Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, ensure the right to return for displaced Armenians and implement mechanisms to determine the fate of missing persons. 

Narine Aghabalyan, Nagorno-Karabakh program leader for the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, stressed the need to amplify concerns about Azerbaijan’s actions. “This is a crime against justice. Ruben Vardanyan’s latest statement highlights the alarming situation and calls on us to act, both within Armenian society and globally,” she stated.

Gegham Stepanyan, the former Human Rights Defender of Nagorno-Karabakh, emphasized efforts to stop the torture of detainees in Baku and secure their release.

The trials come after the relinquishment of Nagorno-Karabakh, which forced nearly 120,000 Armenians to flee the region. During this period, Ruben Vardanyan, former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, and seven other officials were arrested on politically motivated charges. Detainees also include former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents, alongside other POWs held unlawfully.

Ruben Vardanyan, who faces charges including “financing terrorism” and “illegally entering” Karabakh, has denied all accusations, calling them fabrications. He recently stated that all documents bearing his signature are falsified and highlighted the coercion of his legal representatives.

In a statement issued on January 16, Vardanyan reiterated his innocence and called for an immediate end to the politically motivated proceedings. "These cases are propaganda tools," he warned, urging international attention and action.

Amnesty International Demands Fair Trial for Ruben Vardanyan in Azerbaijan

Amnesty International urged Azerbaijani authorities to uphold the fair trial rights of former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, whose trial has recently begun.

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, stated that Azerbaijan must ensure accountability and justice by providing Vardanyan with a fair trial.

“The Azerbaijani authorities claim they have put Ruben Vardanyan on trial to ensure accountability for crimes of which they accused him. But by denying him his fair trial rights, they are doing the exact opposite of justice. Authorities must uphold and ensure the fair trial rights of Ruben Vardanyan,” Struthers said.

Vardanyan raised serious allegations, including ill-treatment in detention, coercion to sign falsified case materials, and denial of the opportunity to prepare his defense. Struthers called for a prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into these claims.

Amnesty also emphasized the need for authorities to provide Vardanyan full access to his lawyers and adequate time and resources to prepare his defense.

Struthers urged the international community to closely monitor the case to ensure Vardanyan’s fair trial rights are upheld and justice is delivered.